About TJ Shaw:
As a child, TJ thrived in the Arizona desert. By the age of five she was riding horses through cotton fields and by eleven bought her first motorcycle, a Honda 125cc dirt bike. Growing up with teachers as parents meant traveling during the summer. Hiking, backpacking, fly fishing, climbing pyramids, surviving earthquakes, and flying in hot air balloons were just some of her adventures. An avid day dreamer, she would lose herself in mystical worlds and far off places limited only by her imagination.
After choosing an academic scholarship over an athletic basketball scholarship, she graduated law school and accepted a position as a Deputy County Attorney. However, prosecuting felony crimes was not as exciting as she hoped, so she traded in her briefcase and the courtroom for a Glock and patrol car. She worked the road as a police officer for five years and now tells officers what to do as a policy writer for a police department.
TJ writes from her heart by incorporating her dreams and experiences to create strong, passionate characters who must overcome personal flaws to survive against the challenges of traversing through magical realms, undiscovered planets, and apocalyptic catastrophes.
What inspires you to write?
Books, movies, music, nature, almost anything can inspire me. Being outdoors, walking (or running) along a forest trail can provide an escape for my mind to ramble over an endless stream of possibilities.
Tell us about your writing process.
I’m a seat-of-the-pants writer, meaning I sit down to a blank page on my laptop and start typing. I don’t outline or plot out chapters, just stare at the screen and let my fingers take over.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
My characters talk and interact with each other in my mind, but not to me. I’m an outsider who observes them as if looking through a veil. They don’t see me. I’m a spy upon their world.
What advice would you give other writers?
Never stop or give up. If you want it bad enough, it’ll happen. Don’t let others discourage you. Believe in yourself, no matter how harsh the review or critique. Don’t lose faith in yourself and your ability.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Writing is a part of me, like breathing. I’ve always written, but decided to publish my first novel, Caller of Light, a high fantasy romance, so I could dedicate it to my mother who died of ovarian cancer.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
With my feet barely wet so to speak, I still have much to learn about the business, but think this is a great time for authors. In addition to traditional publishers, the internet offers another avenue for publishing be it through smaller epublishers to self-publishing. We are not as limited or dependent on the larger publishing houses anymore.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer
What genres do you write?: Always and forever romance, specializing in paranormal, fantasy, and science fiction.
What formats are your books in?: eBook, Print, Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
TJ Shaw Home Page Link
Link To TJ Shaw Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on other site
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit, to allow you, the reader, to hear the author in their own voice.
