Author Q&A: TK Lawyer

Many writers dread the business side of the job, finding it intimidating, boring, or both.

Luckily for TK Lawyer, she actually dreamed of going into business ... but became a paranormal romance author instead!

Lawyer thoroughly enjoyed how her management classes in college blended psychology and business practices and fully expected to go on to own two clothing businesses.

As the cliché goes, though, life is what happens when you’re busy making detailed plans as a high schooler.

And so while Lawyer ultimately does have a business today, it’s a writing one ... and she couldn’t be happier.

We recently talked to the award-nominated paranormal romance writer about her journey.  Here’s what she had to say.

SADYE: So how did you get started writing fiction seriously?

TK: I started receiving ideas in my head shortly after I became frustrated with my boring, mundane life.  

My life had become an endless routine of chores and mind-numbing repetition. 

I could literally feel the passion draining out of me at my day job and I needed something to revive my passionate nature and give back to me some joy and hope.  

So, I started getting ideas and I wrote a few down, but I didn’t receive any other information regarding these ideas. Instead, I started thinking of what I love and what I’d like to read.  

I was on my journey to spirituality at the time, increasing my faith and understanding of angels and spirit, and I thought about things I loved.  

I have always been fascinated with angels. Their true nature is so beautiful and simple, and I wondered what it would be like if there was a possibility of an angel-human relationship beyond traditional ideas.  

What if someone was able to have an actual loving relationship with an angel like a husband and a wife? 

And my ideas just blossomed from there into the Guardian League series.  

My wolf shifter book was born from a different idea. 

I loved my German shepherd mix dog and her quirky behaviors and one day, when she was looking at me in the bedroom, I wondered, “What if this dog wasn’t a dog after all?”  

The idea spiraled into a great adventure and another book for me.

SADYE: What do you think draws people to paranormal romance (like shapeshifters, vampires, etc.) versus traditional romance?

TK: People love the unknown, and I think in this modern age that people are more aware and more open to the uncommon and unusual, even with subjects they don’t understand.  

We have always been a curious species, so anything we don’t quite grasp or understand piques our basic curious nature and intrigues us.  

I also think that most women want a strong partner/mate in life. They want to feel protected, comfortable and safe with a partner they can look up to and respect.  

Heroes generally found in paranormal romance are created this way.  They are interesting, mysterious, loyal and protective — some of which are characteristics that are, sadly, lacking or rare among our own kind.  

Paranormal romance is also an escape from the struggles of reality, a chance to experience something different and maybe idealized that we can’t experience on Earth.  

It’s an opportunity to get caught up in other worlds, witness abilities and powers that are not capable on our planet.  

Traditional romance is limited as humans are limited by their own capabilities. The five senses only take you so far and physical capabilities are within a certain level of capacity.

However, with paranormal romance, your imagination can create anything you can think of beyond human limitations and the limitations of the planet (gravity, oxygen, etc).   

As an author, the fun part is experimenting with elements and/or creating others in a way that is entertaining.   

SADYE: How does one work to stand out in genres like romance (and its subgenres) that are popular to write in?

TK: By continually crafting your style. It’s true what they say: The more you write, the better you get at doing it.  

I have seen my own writing style change over the years. As an author, I think that’s one of the best things you can do.  

Plus do some research. Make sure the basic facts you input into your books are true for your readers.  

SADYE: Were there any authors who inspired you?

TK: The main author that changed my way of thinking about angels and got me on my journey to write about them as well as shifters was Felicity Heaton. 

Her Angel series was a first for me and it opened my eyes to possibilities with a different sort of being that I had never considered — angels. 

I remember being shocked with parts of the first book in her series but also intrigued with the ideas she presented.  

After a while of considering what I had just read, I came to the conclusion: “why not?”  

If it was possible, I think a lot of us would grab ahold of the concept and choose our own angel to experience a loving forever with.

SADYE: What has been the most rewarding experience of your writing journey?

TK: Meeting my fans and readers. 

I absolutely love meeting people, in general, but fans and readers who know me and enjoy my work? Wow. What a privilege!

It is the best experience to have a fan come up to you at your book fair table and tell you they read one or several of your books and they enjoyed them.  

I also have fans who contact me on social media, and I love this too! It validates you, as an author, and who doesn’t want to hear their work is good?  

Seriously, authors love to hear compliments because we are the worst judges when it comes to our own work.  

We tear it down and never think it’s good enough, but when a fan/reader tells us they loved it, it is just an amazing experience!  

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Learn more about T.K. Lawyer on her website, where her books can also be purchased; like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter. 

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