Romance, Resilience and the Heart Behind “Unconventionally, Elle”

Under the bright blue overhang of Tandem Coffee on the Mandeville lakefront, romance fiction novelist Jourdana Webber held her small black dog, Pazzo, against her chest as a summer wind pushed rain clouds across Lake Pontchartrain.

Customers filled the patio beneath the covered deck while servers carried iced coffees and plates of food between tables. Webber sat near the edge of the patio in a navy blazer and wide-brimmed hat, speaking about grief, illness, and the personal experiences behind her debut novel, “Unconventionally, Elle.”

“After a dream that just hit the inspiration, I was like, ‘I need to do this,’” Webber recalled. “I have a story. I need to write this.”

For the former magazine writer-turned-independently published romance novelist, the shift was deeply personal. Through “Unconventionally, Elle,” Webber turns grief and chronic illness into fiction while building support from readers and independent bookstores across Louisiana.

Before publishing her novel, Webber spent years writing interviews and pieces for a local publication. Although the work refined her writing, it never gave her the creative satisfaction she sought.

“I was realizing, too, this writing doesn’t fill my cup at all,” she admitted.

That realization pushed her toward fiction, which had long felt like a refuge.

“It was a chaotic childhood, so I went to books, and I would always be at the library,” Webber said. “I think art is truly what saves the world.”

As customers moved through the patio behind her, she spoke quietly about her connection to the novel’s main character, Elle.

“Elle was written like we were both on my therapist’s couch,” Webber said with a soft laugh.

While centered on romance, the story weaves in undertones of loss and renewal that deepened for Webber following a great personal loss.

“Grief is what the big instigator was for Elle,” she explained. “She lost someone who was like her whole world, and I still deal with that now, losing my grandfather in the past year.”

Webber briefly wiped tears from her face before continuing the conversation. She wanted the novel to acknowledge emotional darkness without allowing hopelessness to define the story.

“People feel dark sometimes, and I think it’s important to acknowledge that,” she noted. “Just because you have those moments doesn’t mean it’s going to consume you.”

Some parts of the novel also reflected the freer life Webber lived vicariously through Elle. Diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, most commonly known as POTs, a “disorder of the autonomic nervous system,” and other autoimmune issues, she finds that Louisiana’s climate can make everyday life physically difficult.

“I honestly struggle living here sometimes with the heat because of my autoimmune illnesses,” she confessed. “I essentially wrote the life I wanted to have in this character.”

Writing the novel was rewarding, but self-publishing still brought moments of uncertainty and self-doubt.

“Something that my therapist had really helped me with when I do get overwhelmed or get decision fatigue, you get imposter syndrome, quite frankly, is to circle back and be like, ‘You’re doing the damn thing. You’re publishing the book,’ which is hard in and of itself,” Webber shared.

Even during multiple revisions, one detail of the novel never changed.

“A lot of times, your first chapter will change, your first sentence will change,” she pointed out. “My first sentence never changed in the entirety of every single draft.”

Friends close to Webber said the emotional honesty throughout the novel closely reflects her personality outside of writing. Sarah Cook, who met Webber through a ballet class last year, described the author as “a person very full of light and very full of life.”

Cook felt the author's perspective was evident throughout the pages.

“When reading Elle, I could tell this was a story very close to her heart and experiences,” Cook said. “It was interesting to get to know her through the lens of this story and see how she sees herself.”

Webber’s relationship with local readers has also extended into Louisiana’s independent bookstore community. OxLot Books in downtown Covington continues to carry copies of “Unconventionally, Elle” following a successful release event.

Emily French explained that Webber supported the bookstore long before asking the business to stock her novel.

“Jourdana has been a supporter of our store since we opened and is a strong supporter of indie bookstores all over the state,” French said. “In fact, she was our very first customer.”

According to French, customer interest in the novel grew quickly after its launch.

“We were there when she launched the book and sold out of all our copies,” French added. “We had great participation for our book club event with her, and we continue to stock and sell copies of her book.”

French believes readers are drawn to the sincerity the author brings to conversations about writing and storytelling.

“She loves to connect with readers through her writing,” French said. “She truly loves what she does, and so it shows in her work product.”

As the storm moved closer to the lakefront patio, Webber laughed while recalling one of the most unexpected moments since she published her novel. Earlier this year, promotional material for “Unconventionally, Elle” appeared on a billboard in Times Square.

“I freaked out,” she grinned widely as she exclaimed, “I was screaming.”

Webber later traveled to New York City with a good friend and saw the display during a late-night walk through Manhattan.

“When I found out about Times Square, I was almost frozen in shock,” she said, laughing softly at the memory. “When I saw it, I cried.”

She laughed again, describing the moment she stood in Times Square holding late-night food and staring at the billboard advertising her book.

“We had been out at Hell’s Kitchen that night, and it was like 2 a.m. when we went into Times Square and saw it,” Webber recalled. “I had mozzarella sticks in my hand.”

For Webber, the moment represented validation for independently published authors working outside traditional publishing houses.

“It goes to prove that even if you are independently published, you still have respect and achieve things that you didn’t even know were on your list to achieve,” she said.

Despite growing recognition, Webber tries to avoid focusing on financial success.

“My gut response is never about the money because then you kind of become a slave to it,” she warned. “That’s honestly what’s going on right now in the publishing industry.”

Instead, her motivation continues to come from readers who connect emotionally with her work.

“It is remarkable to see how people digest my work, and that will always and forever be my goal,” she stated.

Webber is currently working on a second novel connected to characters introduced in “Unconventionally, Elle.”

As light rain spattered above Tandem near the end of the interview, she adjusted Pazzo in her arms and reflected on what continues to motivate her beyond sales or recognition.

“It comes down to a legacy for myself and being remembered but also making a difference,” Webber concluded. “You don’t know what the butterfly effect is. That’s what keeps me going: the readers.”

Jourdana Webber, author of “Unconventionally, Elle.” Photo by Amalie Orrange The Branded Boss Lady

Candid shot by Adriana Crawford. Jourdana Webber holds her dog, Pazzo, during an interview at Tandem Coffee Shop on the Mandeville lakefront in Louisiana on Tuesday. She discussed the growing attention surrounding her self‑published novel “Unconventionally, Elle” and the momentum of her upcoming projects.

© 2026 Adriana Crawford. All rights reserved.

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