Author Spotlight: LJ Evans

Where Music & Stories Collide

I’d like to be able to tell you I remember the exact moment LJ Evans entered my brainspace, but I’d be lying. LJ Evans is one of those authors—nope, one of those people—who feels like they’ve always been part of my world. It’s weird to look back and realize I’ve been reading her books for less than two years. That I’ve known her for such a short amount of time. Because LJ is that person who instantly puts you at ease and makes you feel seen and valued. Maybe it’s her background as a teacher? Maybe it’s her smile and how bright her eyes get when she’s talking to you? LJ is a lyrical human, a combination of light and song that infuses its way into her stories and very presence. 

While I don’t remember exactly which author to thank, I’m pretty sure I first encountered LJ in another author’s FB group through a “get to know me” post. I remember checking off so many things we had in common besides being addicted to love stories—Chai tea lovers, former teachers, country music fans, Disney addicts—and thinking, huh, there are others out there like me.  Cool! And when she was looking for ARC readers for her novel, Tripped By Love, I couldn’t reply fast enough. I was a relatively new ARC reader and the description of her stories called to me, I just hadn’t worked my way into her backlist yet. 

I clearly and vividly remember reading LJ’s Branded By A Song over the Christmas holidays to prep for Tripped By Love, and I was hooked! I remember crying within the first few chapters. I remember realizing I was several chapters in and totally immersed in the story, and didn’t even realize it was a slow burn because it was so perfectly emotional and intense I didn’t realize the main characters hadn’t had sex yet. I remember comparing her writing to another one of my favorite authors (A.M. Johnson) because of the depth of character development and the sheer poetic beauty of her writing. I remember thinking, this is an author to watch, and a person who really gets it. All of it—the story, the characters, the emotions, the everything.

Part of the everything I absolutely love in LJ’s books is how she treats children as characters of consequence in her stories. To be honest, I know it’s really hard to write realistic kids into non-kid intended books. Because kids are really so freaking different—from adults and from each other. And writing a child into a book that’s emotional and intense and yes, seggsy, is something I know a lot of authors struggle with. How do you write a kid into a story, have them become part of the story but not the story itself, and portray them in a way that isn’t an overgeneralized stereotype?  Well, you may want to ask LJ, a former elementary school teacher, because the kids in her books are essential and consequential elements of her stories, not afterthoughts or interruptions. They are often just as much main characters as the heroes and heroines. And in some cases, they may even steal the show a little bit. But either way, they enhance the plot, help develop the characters around them, and move the story forward in a purposeful and elegant manner that is engaging and realistic.

I think what I’m really drawn to in LJ and her books is her humanity. How she can take even a romantic suspense story and make it believable, realistic, raw, and honest. How her rockstar stories have deep elements of home and community. How family and loss and courage and new beginnings become a character’s guidestones, creating connections with readers beyond just what the character’s simple story implies. Her characters stick with me. Her main characters are all so human and beautiful in their honesty and flaws and strengths and vulnerabilities. And her supporting characters create beautiful depth to the themes of family (genetic and found), community, and growth written into the lives within the pages. Her books are immersive. I want to climb right into her stories and live there.

Beyond the beauty and humanity LJ writes into her stories and her characters, she has a fantastic connection to music, and I think it brings an even greater depth to her books. Open an LJ novel and you’ll find playlists, chapter titles, and chapter intros built around meaningful song titles and lyrics. Her books read like a song, because quite often their inspiration leaps from the lyrics.  I love the tie-ins and the visuals the songs add to the stories. And yes, I do get visuals as much from listening to song lyrics as I do from reading words on a page. I have found quite a few new songs and artists to love (and add to my personal playlist) thanks to LJ’s books. 

Charm City Romanticon 2023 provided my first opportunity to actually meet (and hug) LJ, but it felt more like a reunion than an introduction. She writes so much of her heart into her books, I already felt connected to her. Our friendship grew through our love of great stories and the Romancelandia community and has continued to thrive. She is one of my biggest supporters, donating to fundraisers, sharing my blog and podcast, and listening to me when my imposter syndrome rears its ugly head. We talk about our kids, our pets, our favorite authors, and of course music and books we both love.  It’s a connection I am truly grateful for and treasure.

I am so excited that LJ will be joining us again as an attending author at Charm City Romanticon in April 2024. I can promise, the fangirling will still be in full effect!

Just the facts:

First book I read by LJ: Branded by a Song 

What I love most about her books: Deeply intense slow burn done right! Her language is seriously poetic and beautiful, too.

Fave book by LJ:  The Last One You Loved (standalone, for now) and Royal Haze (part of The Painted Daisies series)

Fave character: Ooooh…  Ok, I actually have two. First, Mila Hatley from The Last One You Loved. Talk about a “minor” character being a serious catalyst!  LJ does kids as supporting characters right, and Mila is a stellar example of that. Second, D’Angelo Castelli from Royal Haze. Because morally gray is my favorite color. And he is a stunning shade of all things a cinnamon roll hero should be.

Fave cover: Disguised As Love The energy is this cover is spectacular. It’s just the perfect blend of everything. 

Get the behind the scenes view of The Painted Daisies series through our podcast with LJ: Brayzen Book Club with LJ Evans

Get all the info about LJ 

on her website: https://www.ljevansbooks.com

You can get her books on Amazon 

You can find LJ on social media here:      Facebook               Instagram               TikTok

Facebook reader group: LJ's Music & Stories