Tag Archives: J. Lawson

#WOTR24 #attendingauthor #Authorspotlight – J. Lawson

J. Lawson profile image

Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.

My name is Jackie Lawson. I write under the pen name J Lawson. I’m originally from the Quad Cities; more specifically, Davenport, Iowa. I moved to the Peoria area 15 years ago. I have a master’s degree in English Literature from Western Illinois University. I’ve loved reading and writing ever since I can remember and I published my first book in 2019 with another following each year after.

When you are writing a book, which is harder? The first book in the series or the others after it?

I’d have to say the others after. There isn’t really a whole lot different about writing each book, except I hate having to recap the previous books at the beginning of the following books. I’ve read a lot of them where they go into far too much detail about the first book and I’ve read some where they don’t go into enough detail. I feel like finding that sweet spot is the hardest part.

When writing a series how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

Finding a balance between the book being plot driven and character driven is a great way to keep things fresh. If you stay character driven, after a few books you’ve exhausted a lot of their story and they either have to keep having exponential growth (which, I’m sorry, feels unrelatable, unrealistic, and exhausting) or the focus has to shift. When you switch the focus between the characters and the story itself, that gives you more time to develop both and keep things fresh.

Writing can be an emotionally draining and stressful pursuit. Any tips for aspiring writers?

I know a lot of writers have multiple projects going at once. I can’t do that myself because I get mixed up and things begin to run together. I have, however, found that if I’m getting burnt out on a project or I’m getting stuck, journaling helps me with that. I can focus on something completely unrelated, or I can hash out the issues I’m having in a journal and sometimes I will “talk” myself into a solution through the journaling process. Don’t be afraid to step away when you need to to re-center.

On a typical day, how much time do you spend writing?

As much as my mental capacity allows. I’ve found that it’s important not to force my writing. Writing has been a catharsis for me for so many years that if I force it when I’m not feeling it, I can become resentful of it. I never want that to happen. So there are days where I’ll write for 6 hours, and then I won’t write again for several days. During the several days off, I’ll often jot down notes or ideas or things I think about, and then there comes a day where things just click and I can write out everything I’m thinking or have thought of on the days off. It’s my personal process.

Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special.

Ooooo, this is a brutal question. It’s like having to choose a favorite child. In my Amulets Trilogy, I think Mama Landry will always be a favorite. There’s so much to her, yet she’s quite a secondary character. I’ve always kind of found myself drawn to secondary characters who you want to know more about. She’s definitely that. So much so in fact that I plan on doing a prequel to the trilogy that will focus specifically on her and her story. For my new paranormal fantasy series, Peculiar Lessons, I think it’s Professor Cessair, simply because, again, he’s not the main focus, but he’s a driving factor in the story. And he’s so out of touch that it’s fun to bring comedic relief to a series that can become somewhat heavy.

What is your definition of success?

Reaching a goal. Period. End of story. If you simply wanted to get out of bed today and you did, success. If you wanted to clean and all you got to was wiping down the counters, success. If you wanted to write five pages and you did, success. I find a lot of people get bogged down in the details or try to assign a “level” or “degree” of success and that’s not a thing. If you did what you aimed to do, you succeeded. People can write amazing things but then focus so much on whether they think it’s “good enough” that they never get to enjoy the success of accomplishing the goal. Just having done it is incredible!

Do you have anything you want to share that didn’t fit on one of these questions?

I think it’s important for writers to write what THEY want to read. So many times a writer gets focused on writing what they think OTHER people want to read, and it will never come across as genuine as writing to one’s own heart.

What are your social links?

Facebook: AuthorJ.Lawson
Instagram: authorjlawson
Website: www.authorjlawson.com

What are your buy links? (Provide links to your Amazon/iBook’s/Koko/etc Author Home Page if you have quite a few. Also include audible links if applicable.)

https://www.amazon.com/author/j.lawson

Want tickets to Writers on the River #2024?

They are available starting November 6th at Writersontheriver.com

$75 VIP Plus – 11-12 Lunch with the Authors , 12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Limited Quantity expected to sell out first day*

$50 VIP -12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Expected to sell out first day*

$25 Early Access – 12-1 VIP house, 1-4 General Admission time. You also get a filled VIP bag but NO admission to the after party. *Expected to sell out opening day*

$10 General Admission – 1-4 General Admission time. You can purchase a bag but it is not filled with VIP swag. There is no admission to the after party included.

$35 After party – 7-11 After Party with food and cash bar. Dj with a photobooth is also included in the fun.

#WOTR21 – #Review – The Amulets by J. Lawson

The Amulets (The Amulets Trilogy #1)

A centuries-old war, a lineage of magic thought long dead, and a girl desperately struggling to find her place.

Jordan has a secret; one that’s kept her intentionally antisocial. So, when new girl Georgia moves to town and begins working at the same bookstore, she is naturally apprehensive. Yet, discovering their unanticipated connection makes her question everything she’s ever believed.

When they discover unusual happenings linked to the old mill, they along with Sawyer, handsome grandson of the town crank, find themselves forced to investigate a potentially evil source of conflict threatening the safety of their town. Will Jordan and Georgia’s common gifts, along with Sawyer’s courage and charm, be enough to get the answers they need to save the town? Or does letting yourself care just mean you have more to lose?

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Kelly

Who says we need less dreamers and more concrete intellects? Jordan’s boss! Psh! First, I love that our main character works in a bookstore and promotes fantasy books, just saying. The Amulets, for me, was a pure and wholesome young adult book. It was very sweet. Jordan is a shape-shifter and has kept this secret for many years. She is afraid if she gets close to someone that she will ultimately lose them because they won’t understand. This is something she struggles with throughout the story. Their small town is truly a small town. Everyone knows everyone and you only fall into a few different categories with school and work. And, if you make it out, you don’t come back. Until Georgia shows up one day to work at the same store as Jordan. These two are definitely kindred spirits and you can feel the bond forming right from jump. Their friendship is something most of us wish we had. Then we have Sawyer, a super cute guy who brings them coffee! Score! Jordan and Georgia are both shapeshifters and Sawyer is not. The secrets now become very delicate. On top of this, the town has lost their dang mind! This causes the trio to do some investigative work which ends up getting really hairy in the end. And when I say hairy, I truly mean hairy. Reality can be just as crazy as the stuff people imagine. 

The story started a bit slow for me but I think with this being the first in the trilogy the world building was needed. It is super sweet too. No swearing and no crazy make-out sessions. There are a couple kisses shared between Jordan and Sawyer, and they were perfect. I definitely think that this is geared toward a younger YA group. Once the story got moving, it was hard to put down. And now that I reached the end I need to know what happens next. 

J. Lawson

J. Lawson was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa. She moved to Peoria, Illinois in 2008, where she currently resides with her husband, son, and two dogs. She graduated from Western Illinois University with a Master’s in English Literature. She has been published in multiple literary magazines, and The Amulets (book one in The Amulets Trilogy) is her debut novel. Lawson enjoys reading fantasy, thriller, mystery, and most varieties of fiction. She also loves 80s-90s rock music.

www.facebook.com/AuthorJ.Lawson

twitter.com/AuthorLawson

www.authorjlawson.com

#wotr #attendingauthor #seriesstarter The Amulets (the amulet series 1) by J.Lawson

A centuries-old war, a lineage of magic thought long dead, and a girl desperately struggling to fihe4iiioood her place.

Jordan has a secret; one that’s kept her intentionally antisocial. So, when new girl Georgia moves to town and begins working at the same bookstore, she is naturally apprehensive. Yet, discovering their unanticipated connection makes her question everything she’s ever believed.

When they discover unusual happenings linked to the old mill, they along with Sawyer, handsome grandson of the town crank, find themselves forced to investigate a potentially evil source of conflict threatening the safety of their town. Will Jordan and Georgia’s common gifts, along with Sawyer’s courage and charm, be enough to get the answers they need to save the town? Or does letting yourself care just mean you have more to lose?

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45017206-the-amulets?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=6Tq33Blph8&rank=4

Amazon https://amzn.to/3uAgEto

Review by Twinsie Dee

I was giving this book by the author and this is my honest opinion

Jordan lives in a small town and doesn’t really hang out with too many people only because she has a huge secret that she’s never told she can shape-shift into a wolf. She’s never met anyone else that’s like her until a mother and daughter move into town. They become close and Jordan  discovered that the new girl can also shape-shift but instead of a wolf she shifts into a bobcat. So now Jordan has a friend and she couldn’t be happier, she had someone else who was like her and she didn’t feel so alone anymore. There are a lot of mystery things that are happening in this small town that Jordan and Georgia just can’t explain so they decided to investigate what they find will shock them both or will it?  This was a good read but a little rough for me to get into in the beginning just felt like it was all over the place in the first chapter but then got back on track in the next chapter. It was a very good and quick read.

J. Lawson was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa. She moved to Peoria, Illinois in 2008, where she currently resides with her husband, son, and two dogs. She graduated from Western Illinois University with a Master’s in English Literature. She has been published in multiple literary magazines, and The Amulets (book one in The Amulets Trilogy) is her debut novel. Lawson enjoys reading fantasy, thriller, mystery, and most varieties of fiction. She also loves 80s-90s rock music.

#Sugar4SPICE #AuthorSpotlight – J. Lawson

J. Lawson

Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.

J Lawson

Where is your favorite place to write and what food must be present?

Perkins Restaurant. Coffee or tea for sure and likely some kind of salad with an indecent amount of ranch dressing.

What are you favorite things about attending signings?

I love meeting people who have a passion for the same things as myself. Talking books is what brings me joy, so being able to ignite a passion for my own work is the definition of living the dream for me.

What author would you love to meet (Who is your unicorn author)?

Karen Marie Moning. I would love to sit down and talk to her for just an hour even. She writes such relatable fiction which is not an easy task. I admire her writing style. I feel there’s so much I could learn and glean from her.

What author would you love to write with?

I’m so wary of collaborative writing, but I would absolutely be willing to give it a go with Kim Harrison.

What is your favorite memory so far as an author?

Shortly after my first book was published, my cousin sent me a candid picture of her pre-teen daughter reading it in her room. The look on her face was complete concentration/focus and it actually made me tear up. That was all I ever wanted when I started writing this trilogy; I wanted people to read and enjoy my work. That’s the dream. It’s still surreal to think about it.

What are your social links?

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorJ.Lawson
Twitter: @AuthorLawson
Website: http://www.authorjlawson.com/

What are your buy links? (You can list individual or links to your Amazon/ibooks/Koko/etc Author Home Page.)