The forthcoming finale to her New York Times-bestselling YA "Wings of Ebony" duology, ASHES OF GOLD releases January 11, 2022.

ASHES OF GOLD received a starred Kirkus review calling it "a masterful adventure," and it's been named one of Apple Books' Most Anticipated Winter Reads. J. Elle successfully coordinated a donation of over 500 copies of the first book in the duology, WINGS OF EBONY, so that every student at Jack Yates High School in her hometown neighborhood of Houston's Third Ward could receive a copy.

Why and how do you approach portraying inner-city communities as places full of magic and power?

Inner-city communities are places full of “magic” and power. So the work I’m doing is really to help readers–who come to my story as a window–see what’s already there. Those who come to my stories for a mirror, I hope find the nostalgic richness of existence that we’re intimately familiar with.

Narratively, in Wings of Ebony, I specifically aimed to capture the capacity for the seemingly impossible through Rue. She’s up against a lot of odds and yet I want the reader to never once doubt her. Fear for her, worry for her, be scared for her, but root for her to win and believe she truly can. Rue’s story of magic is one of grit, tenacity and love. Wings of Ebony also reflects the strong sense of community, found family, and commitment to communal good found in communities like East Row, the fictional neighborhood where Rue is from. But even these delights in Wings of Ebony are a mere waft of the aroma to all the “magic” that undergirds inner-city communities like mine, the Third Ward of Houston, which I used as inspiration to create East Row. One story couldn’t possibly capture the full breadth of our gifts. Ultimately, I hope my story’s success opens opportunities for more stories like it to find their way to shelves.

Tell us more about your unconventional path to publishing success as a debut author turned instant bestseller—and if/how you're coaching other authors toward their own success.

I learned to write on Twitter. I know how that sounds and yes I do have a Bachelor’s of Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin. But, I’d never considered pursuing writing as a profession until 2018. And I started that journey by joining Twitter. At the time, I had been watching iWriterly, an author YouTube streamer, who recommended Twitter as a place to find writing community. I joined that same day and searched hashtags for writers. I quickly (literally the same day) found other writers doing writing sprints (30-45 minute segments where writers write nonstop and check back in on Twitter for a 5-10 break before diving back in for another one). I didn’t understand scene structure, developing plots, character arcs, or any of that. However, after a couple months of engaging with this social community online, I’d managed to write 40,000 words of some fantasy story idea I had for an adult book. I quickly realized those words were the equivalent of the first pancake and tossed them. From there I sat down with a plan to outline a story and officially pursue traditional publishing. The story that came out (in 35 days) was Wings of Ebony.

After the draft was complete, I swapped with other writers and used their feedback to continue to strengthen the story until October 2018 when I decided to pitch my story in DVpit, a biannual twitter pitch contest attended by publishing professionals to scout new talent. My tweet was supposed to summarize my story. From 140 characters only, I hoped to get some interest. The tweet ended up going viral and by the end of the day I had requests from countless agents and 20+ publishers wanting to see pages. I then queried my story, signed with my first literary agent, who guided me through more revisions before sending it out to twenty or so editors. We had four or five publishers interested in pursuing, but an enthusiastic preempt offer from Denene Millner with Simon & Schuster swept in and swept me away!

Since then, I’ve completed more projects and to date have contracted nine books! Only a handful of those have been publicly announced, so stay tuned. But I’m eager and frankly feel quite fortunate to have this opportunity. Amazing writers with phenomenal stories get passed over by publishing everyday. I’m just so thankful to have this space. And I try to use what little time I do have between books to mentor other authors. My mentoring consists of editorial revisions, advice navigating pitch contests, finding an agent, et cetera. And it’s been such a joy to watch my mentees thrive. Several of them have their own first books coming out in the coming years and that gives me such joy!

I hope to continue to have the bandwidth to do more of this work, as much as I can because there are so many readers out there that never finished a book until they met Rue. I was a teacher for a few years and a homeschool mom for several more and I can’t stress enough–literacy is a gateway for upward mobility. And not just knowing how to read, but truly learning to love reading, and by extension, love learning. That is what I hope my books do for kids in communities like mine. Representation matters.

Why do you write about kids who are impacted by and who must grapple with racism, privilege, cultural appropriation, single- or mixed-parent homes, and finding family within community?

Rue’s story was the one on my heart to tell.

Will all my stories grapple with racism, privilege, cultural appropriation? No. Why? Because while examining the trauma of a community is critical in fostering understanding and empathy; that’s only a fraction of the work that needs to be done. As much as someone benefits from exploring the way racial bias and prejudice negatively affect others, so too, do they need to explore stories where communities outside of their own are just living. Being alive, experiencing joy. To put it another way, I don’t think someone outside of our community can fully empathize with Black trauma, unless they understand Black joy. Unless they understand, see, experience what is being taken from our community.

Which is why Wings of Ebony is a story that explores challenging topics, but ultimately, a story of hope. Similarly, in Ashes of Gold, the sequel, I worked very intentionally to cement a message of love in its many nuances. To paraphrase the words of Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and co-publisher of Joy Revolution, an imprint of Random House, Wings of Ebony is a “big-hearted and deeply perceptive vision of a Black girl’s journey to reclaim her magic…a much-needed ray of hope.”

It’s important to note that Wings of Ebony released in January of 2021, after living through 2020. But, I drafted this painfully relevant story in 2018 because those realities that Rue faced, inspired by my own experiences, weren’t new. We’re seeing these things being talked about in more public forums since 2020, but these issues aren’t new. They’re just getting more attention now.

At the end of the day, when it comes to which story I endeavor to tell, I’m going to follow where my storytelling heart leads.

Why is YA Fantasy your chosen genre for portraying powerful Black characters and communities?

I enjoy crafting stories that explore more challenging, thought-provoking themes in the real world. Stories that pose questions about the way we view the world. And fantasy allows readers to engage in some of these more difficult topics with distance. Because it contextualizes larger societal issues in a dissectable veneer. Having a conversation with students about racism, for example, that’s personally affected them might be met with silence, anxiety, or discomfort. However, discussing Rue and Bri’s relationship in Wings of Ebony as a way to explore the nuances of privilege may be met with less resistance. I like that fantasy gives readers a safe space to analyze how a trauma can impact a person, community, society without necessarily having to relive their own.

I also want my stories to be enjoyable and have a hefty dose of the unexpected. Fantasy allows me to do that in a limitless way because hellooooo magic!

I also write fantastical stories in the middle grade space. My debut middle grade novel, A Taste of Magic, is out Fall 2022. These stories tend to be lighter in tone, but there’s still commentary dotted throughout on issues pertinent to my community, such as gentrification, food insecurity, socioeconomic disparity, the achievement gap, and others.

How has your passion for education and empowering young voices, paired with the importance of leaning into African American heritage and legacy, had an influence on your writing?

I’ve worked as a charter school teacher and a private school administrator. I’ve also been a public school student, magnet school student, and private school student at various points in my youth. The culmination of those experiences showed me just how much kids perceive and process about the world around them. They are far more aware of what’s going on than we give them credit for. So, I don’t shy away from weighter topics in my stories because young readers are often passively, if not actively, exploring these ideas already. They have questions and sometimes those never leave their lips. A young person’s mind is slow drying cement. Literature can shape their ideas, their paradigm, their outlook on the world before it hardens and becomes something brittle when broken. There’s a relentless optimism that burns in young people and I craft stories to toss kerosene on that flame. It cannot die out. They are quite literally the next generations of changemakers up to the plate. It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to put stories in front of them.

Why is it important to create a dialogue around how non-POCs can be allies to POC communities?

Ally is a verb. Fullstop.

Creating a dialogue around allyship is critical because many have no idea what allyship even means. Discussions around racism and social justice inequality, as an example, require an examination of allyship because meaningful, productive change does not happen in isolation. True change involves community. Many hands on deck. And there is no neutrality when it comes to oppression. If a person isn’t an ally, they’re an obstacle. Either you’re working against it or you’re allowing it to persist. Black people did not create racism. And yet more often than not, it falls on the Black community to lead the charge in combating this insidious infectant. But should it? Considering we didn’t make this mess? How does that jive with the values many pride themselves on imparting on their children? Is there some willful cognitive dissonance there? Between the platitudes we chide to our children and the standard we hold ourselves too?

But topics like this make people squirm in their seats. They can’t see themselves actually holding protest signs and chewing out their gregarious Uncle over Holiday dinner about his inappropriate (read: racist) comments. SIlence is safer. Silence is more comfortable. But, the work of allyship starts internally, which many don’t realize. True allyship begins as a heart posture. It’s a way of viewing the world where someone recognizes a grave disparity between privileges they are afforded by just existing that others are deprived of. And that gap of injustice motivates them to actively work against its existence. First and foremost in their own heart, and second, within their sphere of influence. The work of allying reframes one’s view on others around them. Which then bleeds into their treatment of others. Not every ally is holding a sign leading a protest. Performative allyship can be saying the “right” things, using the “right” terms, boosting social media posts. But it’s hollow when a deep understanding of the injustice a community is subjected to is absent. Conversations like these albeit uncomfortable at times can bridge understanding and spark meaningful, productive dialogue to inspire real tangible change.

How can your young readers have conversations about privilege with friends who don’t “get it”?

To young readers struggling with friends who don’t “get it,” I’d remind them it’s not their work to do. First and foremost, guard yourself from emotional exhaustion. I read somewhere once that self care is a radical act of social justice. You cannot make someone see something they’re not ready to. Remember these are issues of the heart and a person has to be willing to confront their own biases with the utmost humility and frankness. That takes a rare courage. If your friend doesn’t get it, it’s not your fault. And your mental health is not required to be collateral damage.

If you’re still inclined to try to help them see, I’d recommend you suggest they read some of the books listed below. This isn’t a comprehensive list, but a few titles I’ve found particularly effective in these conversations. Remember to let them read and approach you if and when they want to discuss. I wouldn't push or pressure or interrogate. Let them do the work.

Fiction titles for a more nuanced exploration:

• Wings of Ebony by J.Elle and its sequel: Ashes of Gold by J.Elle

• Dear Martin by Nic Stone

• A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

Non Fiction titles for a more candid topical discussion:

• Between The World And Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

• White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo

How To Be An AntiRacist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi