diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7dce23a..5bf82df 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@xtr-dev/payload-mailing",
-  "version": "0.1.11",
+  "version": "0.1.12",
   "description": "Template-based email system with scheduling and job processing for PayloadCMS",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "dist/index.js",
diff --git a/src/jobs/sendEmailTask.ts b/src/jobs/sendEmailTask.ts
index 0c808af..ac8e067 100644
--- a/src/jobs/sendEmailTask.ts
+++ b/src/jobs/sendEmailTask.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import { sendEmail } from '../sendEmail.js'
-import { Email } from '../payload-types.js'
-import {BaseEmail} from "../types/index.js"
+import {Email, EmailTemplate} from '../payload-types.js'
 
 export interface SendEmailTaskInput {
   // Template mode fields
@@ -23,6 +22,45 @@ export interface SendEmailTaskInput {
   [key: string]: any
 }
 
+/**
+ * Transforms task input into sendEmail options by separating template and data fields
+ */
+function transformTaskInputToSendEmailOptions(taskInput: SendEmailTaskInput) {
+  const sendEmailOptions: any = {
+    data: {}
+  }
+
+  // If using template mode, set template options
+  if (taskInput.templateSlug) {
+    sendEmailOptions.template = {
+      slug: taskInput.templateSlug,
+      variables: taskInput.variables || {}
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Standard email fields that should be copied to data
+  const standardFields = ['to', 'cc', 'bcc', 'subject', 'html', 'text', 'scheduledAt', 'priority']
+
+  // Template-specific fields that should not be copied to data
+  const templateFields = ['templateSlug', 'variables']
+
+  // Copy standard fields to data
+  standardFields.forEach(field => {
+    if (taskInput[field] !== undefined) {
+      sendEmailOptions.data[field] = taskInput[field]
+    }
+  })
+
+  // Copy any additional custom fields that aren't template or standard fields
+  Object.keys(taskInput).forEach(key => {
+    if (!templateFields.includes(key) && !standardFields.includes(key)) {
+      sendEmailOptions.data[key] = taskInput[key]
+    }
+  })
+
+  return sendEmailOptions
+}
+
 export const sendEmailJob = {
   slug: 'send-email',
   label: 'Send Email',
@@ -128,40 +166,11 @@ export const sendEmailJob = {
     const taskInput = input as SendEmailTaskInput
 
     try {
-      // Prepare options for sendEmail based on task input
-      const sendEmailOptions: any = {
-        data: {}
-      }
-
-      // If using template mode
-      if (taskInput.templateSlug) {
-        sendEmailOptions.template = {
-          slug: taskInput.templateSlug,
-          variables: taskInput.variables || {}
-        }
-      }
-
-      // Build data object from task input
-      const dataFields = ['to', 'cc', 'bcc', 'subject', 'html', 'text', 'scheduledAt', 'priority']
-      const additionalFields: string[] = []
-
-      // Copy standard fields
-      dataFields.forEach(field => {
-        if (taskInput[field] !== undefined) {
-          sendEmailOptions.data[field] = taskInput[field]
-        }
-      })
-
-      // Copy any additional custom fields
-      Object.keys(taskInput).forEach(key => {
-        if (!['templateSlug', 'variables', ...dataFields].includes(key)) {
-          sendEmailOptions.data[key] = taskInput[key]
-          additionalFields.push(key)
-        }
-      })
+      // Transform task input into sendEmail options using helper function
+      const sendEmailOptions = transformTaskInputToSendEmailOptions(taskInput)
 
       // Use the sendEmail helper to create the email
-      const email = await sendEmail<BaseEmail>(payload, sendEmailOptions)
+      const email = await sendEmail<Email>(payload, sendEmailOptions)
 
       return {
         output: {
@@ -171,8 +180,15 @@ export const sendEmailJob = {
       }
 
     } catch (error) {
-      const errorMessage = error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'Unknown error'
-      throw new Error(`Failed to queue email: ${errorMessage}`)
+      if (error instanceof Error) {
+        // Preserve original error and stack trace
+        const wrappedError = new Error(`Failed to queue email: ${error.message}`)
+        wrappedError.stack = error.stack
+        wrappedError.cause = error
+        throw wrappedError
+      } else {
+        throw new Error(`Failed to queue email: ${String(error)}`)
+      }
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/sendEmail.ts b/src/sendEmail.ts
index e83052f..25f4616 100644
--- a/src/sendEmail.ts
+++ b/src/sendEmail.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 import { Payload } from 'payload'
 import { getMailing, renderTemplate, parseAndValidateEmails } from './utils/helpers.js'
-import {Email} from "./payload-types.js"
-import {BaseEmail} from "./types/index.js"
+import {Email, EmailTemplate} from "./payload-types.js"
 
 // Options for sending emails
-export interface SendEmailOptions<T extends BaseEmail = BaseEmail> {
+export interface SendEmailOptions<T extends Email = Email> {
   // Template-based email
   template?: {
     slug: string
@@ -36,14 +35,14 @@ export interface SendEmailOptions<T extends BaseEmail = BaseEmail> {
  * })
  * ```
  */
-export const sendEmail = async <T extends BaseEmail = BaseEmail, ID = string | number>(
+export const sendEmail = async <TEmail extends Email = Email>(
   payload: Payload,
-  options: SendEmailOptions<T>
-): Promise<T & {id: ID}> => {
+  options: SendEmailOptions<TEmail>
+): Promise<TEmail> => {
   const mailing = getMailing(payload)
   const collectionSlug = options.collectionSlug || mailing.collections.emails || 'emails'
 
-  let emailData: Partial<T> = { ...options.data } as Partial<T>
+  let emailData: Partial<TEmail> = { ...options.data } as Partial<TEmail>
 
   // If using a template, render it first
   if (options.template) {
@@ -59,7 +58,7 @@ export const sendEmail = async <T extends BaseEmail = BaseEmail, ID = string | n
       subject,
       html,
       text,
-    } as Partial<T>
+    } as Partial<TEmail>
   }
 
   // Validate required fields
@@ -97,7 +96,12 @@ export const sendEmail = async <T extends BaseEmail = BaseEmail, ID = string | n
     data: emailData
   })
 
-  return email as T & {id: ID}
+  // Validate that the created email has the expected structure
+  if (!email || typeof email !== 'object' || !email.id) {
+    throw new Error('Failed to create email: invalid response from database')
+  }
+
+  return email as TEmail
 }
 
 export default sendEmail
diff --git a/src/services/MailingService.ts b/src/services/MailingService.ts
index a849f5f..e7f4f0e 100644
--- a/src/services/MailingService.ts
+++ b/src/services/MailingService.ts
@@ -5,10 +5,8 @@ import {
   MailingPluginConfig,
   TemplateVariables,
   MailingService as IMailingService,
-  EmailTemplate,
-  QueuedEmail,
   MailingTransportConfig,
-  BaseEmail
+  BaseEmail, BaseEmailTemplate
 } from '../types/index.js'
 import { serializeRichTextToHTML, serializeRichTextToText } from '../utils/richTextSerializer.js'
 
@@ -287,7 +285,7 @@ export class MailingService implements IMailingService {
     const email = await this.payload.findByID({
       collection: this.emailsCollection as any,
       id: emailId,
-    }) as QueuedEmail
+    }) as BaseEmail
 
     const newAttempts = (email.attempts || 0) + 1
 
@@ -302,7 +300,7 @@ export class MailingService implements IMailingService {
     return newAttempts
   }
 
-  private async getTemplateBySlug(templateSlug: string): Promise<EmailTemplate | null> {
+  private async getTemplateBySlug(templateSlug: string): Promise<BaseEmailTemplate | null> {
     try {
       const { docs } = await this.payload.find({
         collection: this.templatesCollection as any,
@@ -314,7 +312,7 @@ export class MailingService implements IMailingService {
         limit: 1,
       })
 
-      return docs.length > 0 ? docs[0] as EmailTemplate : null
+      return docs.length > 0 ? docs[0] as BaseEmailTemplate : null
     } catch (error) {
       console.error(`Template with slug '${templateSlug}' not found:`, error)
       return null
@@ -379,7 +377,7 @@ export class MailingService implements IMailingService {
     })
   }
 
-  private async renderEmailTemplate(template: EmailTemplate, variables: Record<string, any> = {}): Promise<{ html: string; text: string }> {
+  private async renderEmailTemplate(template: BaseEmailTemplate, variables: Record<string, any> = {}): Promise<{ html: string; text: string }> {
     if (!template.content) {
       return { html: '', text: '' }
     }
diff --git a/src/types/index.ts b/src/types/index.ts
index c8a997c..d14d8d7 100644
--- a/src/types/index.ts
+++ b/src/types/index.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 import { Payload } from 'payload'
 import type { CollectionConfig, RichTextField } from 'payload'
 import { Transporter } from 'nodemailer'
-import {Email} from "../payload-types.js"
+import {Email, EmailTemplate} from "../payload-types.js"
 
-export type BaseEmail<TEmail = Email, TEmailTemplate = EmailTemplate> = Omit<TEmail, 'id' | 'template'> & {template: Omit<TEmailTemplate, 'id'>}
+export type BaseEmail<TEmail extends Email = Email, TEmailTemplate extends EmailTemplate = EmailTemplate> = Omit<TEmail, 'id' | 'template'> & {template: Omit<TEmailTemplate, 'id'> | TEmailTemplate['id'] | undefined | null}
+
+export type BaseEmailTemplate<TEmailTemplate extends EmailTemplate = EmailTemplate> = Omit<TEmailTemplate, 'id'>
 
 export type TemplateRendererHook = (template: string, variables: Record<string, any>) => string | Promise<string>
 
@@ -37,16 +39,6 @@ export interface MailingTransportConfig {
   }
 }
 
-export interface EmailTemplate {
-  id: string
-  name: string
-  slug: string
-  subject: string
-  content: any // Lexical editor state
-  createdAt: string
-  updatedAt: string
-}
-
 
 export interface QueuedEmail {
   id: string