We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful J.L. Lawrence. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with J.L. below.

J.L., looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My ultimate goal is to provide readers of all ages an escape from reality. Whether it’s to escape teenage drama, family issues, or a simple break from life, I want my stories to inspire and motivate. When I was young and life would overwhelm, I would always disappear into the pages of a good book or into a story of my own making. I’d write these short stories into a journal and become empowered to control my destiny if only for a short time. Over the years, these small stories continued to help me through times of stress and became a sort of coping mechanism. Then, my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer in advanced stages. She also loved reading especially fantasy. She often encouraged to do more with my creative side. Taking her advice, I began to put all those stories from all those years together and found a common theme. It took many years to hone the craft and make the correct connections, but I finally developed my first fantasy series. Now, I write different levels of fantasy for all ages and hope that my books can create a safe haven for others that need the distraction from the reality of life.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have been a high school teacher for twenty years, but I’ve been writing my stories since I was a child. The sense of creation provided stress relief and a sense of whimsy. It gave me balance. It took me several years to release my first book because I went through countless revisions and editors to make it perfect. What I realized is that perfect doesn’t exist, and you can’t please every person. Once I accepted those key pieces, I published my first fantasy novel, Mystic Awakening. Over the next couple years, I completed the trilogy. The Mystic series is still my favorite and will always hold a special place in my heart because it represents a culmination of all those childhood stories that ran around in my young mind that grew with me over time.

I honestly didn’t know if I’d create any other stories until my younger daughter asked me why I didn’t create a story she could read. My first series had been geared more toward adults. After some thought, I took the heroine from my first series and created a young adult series based on the heroine’s backstory. My daughter got to listen and help me along the way. It became a great bonding experience. Since then, I’ve created a lighthearted holiday series entitled Christmas Wishes, and I’m working on a new middle grade/young adult fantasy series called The Dragon Master Chronicles.

Over the years, I’ve published twelve stories and have at least three more in the works for the next year. It brings continual happiness into my life, and I want it to do the same for my readers.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

As an author, it is a continual struggle to find the correct connections. I had to learn the hard way about several issues. The first necessity is to find a great editor not a friend or family member, but an actual experienced editor. After many wrong turns, I found a fellow author who also turned out to be an amazing editor. The second obstacle is to find reliable critique partners. People who are not afraid to be honest but in a positive manner. Writing groups are very beneficial for this step. My final piece of advice to myself if I went back in time would be to take my time with publishing. It does help to have a publisher but if you decide to independently publish, make sure the edits, format, and covers are professional. Find the necessary support group if you want to achieve success.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, I find my readers the most rewarding aspect of being an author. When I attend comic cons, holiday markets, or author events, I’m always humbled by the outpouring of support. To have a fan come up and say that they’ve read all your books and talk about your characters like they’re real is an amazing experience. I’ve also had several readers tell me their stories of hardship and how my books provided a light or escape from the reality. That’s my ultimate goal, so I feel like I made a difference. In addition, my author journey has led me to an incredible group of lifelong friends. It’s been a true blessing.     

Contact Info:

• Website: www.authorjllawrence.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/jllawrenceauthor?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100016309036835
• Other: www.tiktok.com/@jllawrenceauthor