The first Black author to write for Harlequin’s Historical Romance line is a Kansas City girl through and through. She goes by the pen name Elle Jackson, but her large family and friends know her as Dana.
Jackson was born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, attending Douglass Elementary, Noble Prentis Elementary, and Eisenhower Middle School before graduating from Sumner Academy. Jackson then earned a bachelor’s in literature and creative writing from University of Missouri-Kansas City and a master’s in teaching at Pittsburg State University before earning an MFA in writing popular fiction at Seton Hill graduate from Seton Hill University.
Jackson has been writing for Harlequin since 2019. Her book A Blues Singer to Redeem Him is set in 1920s jazz-speakeasy-era Kansas City. Her next Harlequin Historical book, still untitled, comes out this year. Jackson lives with her husband, Mikal, and their children, Mikal, 9, and Mila, 6 in Kansas City, Kansas, where she is also principal of New Chelsea Elementary School.
She spoke with IN Kansas City about growing up in a large extended family, her favorite romantic places in Kansas City and how romance novels have evolved.
What is your perfect Valentine’s Day scenario?
I would be with my husband and little ones, and we would watch a movie in our backyard.
In Kansas City in February?
Yeah, I think that’s probably what we’re going to do.
That’s brave! I need to hear more about this winter backyard movie setup.
We have a firepit and a projector and a blow-up screen—it’s really big. And we all just snuggle under blankets and watch a movie out there.
If you were the heroine of a Harlequin romance novel, what would your character be like?
She would be a force to be reckoned with for sure. She would know exactly what she wants—or at least think she does. Her hero would have to be someone strong who understands her, because she would be a little complicated to deal with.
In what way?
It would be hard for her to open up and hard for her to let anyone in to help her. She would be very hard to crack at first. She would think she needs to do everything herself. Through the journey she would learn that she can depend on someone else, and that’s OK.
How did you and your husband meet?
We met in high school, at age 13, at Sumner. We were friends forever, and we would never consider dating each other. Our mutual friends would mention it, and we would both say, “No, no. We’re just friends.”
And then when we got closer to 30, I don’t know, something happened, and we started dating. We did it secretly. We didn’t tell our friends at first.
Why not?
We wanted to see what it was going to be first before we told our friends. We started dating in September of 2012 and got engaged in April of 2013 and we were married by December of that year.
How do you keep romance alive when you are raising kids?
It’s hard. You have to plan and be willing to try new things. We have date nights. We’re simple, too—our date night can be at home or go grab wine. One of our favorite places is Sail Away Wine. Cooper’s Hawk is another favorite. We keep it simple because it’s just about spending time together and learning about each other. Because every year, you change and grow. We just want to make sure we stay connected and grow together.
‘‘I think it’s very cool how in romance literature you know it’s going to be a happy ending—that’s one of the aspects that has to be there for it to be romance—but you worry and you’re scared, and you don’t know how they are going to get this back together. When you start to question if they are going to be able to figure this out, and then they do. That’s the best part.”
How have Harlequin romance novels changed over the years?
Their commitment to diversity has changed, I think. So you’re seeing a lot more diverse love stories, which is fantastic.
Some of the keys to what makes Harlequin Harlequin have never changed, like themes of forbidden romance, or friends-to-lovers, the tropes that really make it Harlequin. I don’t think that changes.
I think it’s very cool how in romance literature you know it’s going to be a happy ending—that’s one of the aspects that has to be there for it to be romance—but you worry and you’re scared, and you don’t know how they are going to get this back together. When you start to question if they are going to be able to figure this out, and then they do. That’s the best part.
Romance novels used to be called bodice rippers. Do they still contain a lot of racy passages?
It depends. Some authors are more of a slow-burn romance writer. I can do either. I’ve written lots of steamy passages. [Laughs] I think authors try to tell readers how racy the book is so you know what you’re getting into.
Does Harlequin have policies about how racy the text can be?
The different lines do. My line—historical—we don’t have any restrictions. We can write whatever we want. But some lines are not as steamy.
When you were a little kid, were there any signs you would grow up to be a writer?
Definitely. I wrote a story in middle school about aliens at my school and nobody believed the main character. I later went on to be a middle school language arts teacher, and I found that story and I had the context because I was teaching middle school at the time, and that story was actually quite creative. I have always loved telling stories, and I always have stories playing in my mind. I thought everyone was like that, and then I learned that’s not true.
When you think about your childhood in Kansas City, how did the experiences you had and the people you knew shape the stories you write today?
The first novel I wrote for Harlequin is set in Kansas City. I loved growing up here, even though it wasn’t easy. It was difficult because I always felt out of place. No matter where I was, I didn’t quite fit. So my first stories were about that—lots of alien stories, stories about being different.
But you still loved growing up in Kansas City?
Yes. I loved that Kansas City is both small and big. My mom’s side of the family, they are Easterwoods and my dad’s are Carrolls. Those are both really big families. So growing up here in those families, you felt connected. Like at school, I would find cousins I didn’t even know I had. It was nice because of things like that. My family is huge. They are really supportive. We are always doing things together. That family aspect is what’s kept me here.
What are some places in Kansas City that you think are romantic?
Anywhere with a fountain—our city is full of them. I love the big fountain on the Plaza with the horses. And the Northland Fountain off North Oak Trafficway is beautiful.
Kansas City has so many romantic places to go. Parkville, I love Parkville. It’s so old, but has such creative shops, and you can walk down by the river.
What are your aspirations for your career at this point?
Finish my next books for Harlequin. But I was originally a YA [young adult] author, and I am returning to those roots. I have a 12-book series I’m working on.
What is your favorite thing about being a romance writer?
I love love. I love talking about how people fall in love. I love how complicated it can get and somehow you find your way back to each other.
Interview condensed and minimally edited for clarity.