Alicia Justice's Blog, page 2

The Beacon in the Darkness Playlist + Moodboard

Every book I write has its own soundtrack. Certain songs carry me through chapters, anchor me to emotions, or set the atmosphere when I need to step into my characters’ world. Beacon in the Darkness is no exception.

Here’s a peek at some of the songs that shaped Kat & Mac’s journey:

Playlist Highlights

Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol (the emotional heartbeat of the book)

Demons – Imagine Dragons

In the End – Tommee Profitt ft. Fleurie

The Sound of Silence – Disturbed

Rescue – Lauren Daigle

Each of these songs carried weight as I wrote—the ache of grief, the tension of danger, the quiet moments of connection that grow between Kat and Mac.

And because I’m a deeply visual writer, I also built a moodboard. Imagine: storm-dark skies, abandoned Romanian forests, the glow of a lone flashlight, the unwavering gaze of a German shepherd, and the spark of hope between two people who weren’t looking for love, but found it anyway.

You can see just one part the full moodboard here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DLDgxD-ois2/

These songs and images are a small piece of what fueled Beacon in the Darkness. My hope is that when you read it, you’ll feel that same pulse of emotion.

Just 3 days left until release! Preorder your copy here https://books2read.com/b/3LQeYe.

Writing Updates: Typing “The End,” Preorders, and Holiday Magic ✨

Friends, I have some exciting updates to share! I know I haven’t really been around much, not even on my social media. I’ve been in the deadline trenches and trying to get those words added to my manuscripts. So here’s a bit of an update for you.

What Grief Couldn’t Take

Friday night, I typed the sweetest words a writer can put on the page: The End. What Grief Couldn’t Take is finished! At just 17,000 words, it’s the shortest story I’ve ever written, but it carries so much heart. This project is especially close to me—it will be included in the Wounded Warrior Project anthology releasing this November. I can’t wait for you to meet Hollis and Archer and step into their journey of grief, love, and second chances.

Beacon in the Darkness Preorder

I’m also thrilled to announce that Beacon in the Darkness is up for preorder right now on Amazon for just $2.99. Mark your calendars, because the official release date is September 30th. This book kicks off my Beacon Security series, and you’ll get to meet Kat, Mac, and of course Duke the German shepherd, as they uncover secrets, face danger, and discover that family is sometimes the one you choose.

Grab your preorder now so it lands on your Kindle the moment it goes live

Preorder Beacon in the Darkness on Amazon

A Christmas Surprise – A Beacon Security Short Story

And because I can’t resist writing holiday stories, I’m editing a brand-new short story for this year’s Christmas release: A Christmas Surprise.

This one brings back Addy and Kevin from Third to Come Home (the third book in my First to Fight series). Their story takes place in the Beacon timeline, weaving the worlds together in a way I think you’ll love. It’s part family, part suspense, part healing, and very much Christmas magic.

Here’s the summary:

A Christmas Surprise: A Beacon Security Short Story

The holidays are supposed to bring peace—but for Addy, Christmas delivers a ghost from the past.

When a frightened little boy appears at Beacon Security’s doorstep with a story too chilling to ignore, Kevin and Mac never expected Addy to be at the center of the unfolding mystery. But when Addy meets young Zion, something about him strikes a chord buried deep in her memories—memories of a life left behind, and a best friend she thought she’d never see again.

As whispers of diplomatic intrigue and long-buried secrets surface, Addy is pulled into a dangerous tangle that forces her to confront the pain of her past and the choices that shaped her future. With Kevin by her side and Beacon’s team backing them, Addy must face a truth that could change everything this Christmas.

In the season of giving, will the past steal her peace—or offer a second chance she never saw coming?

This story has all the ingredients: past colliding with present, found family growing in unexpected ways, and a holiday twist that tugs at the heart while keeping the tension high.

That’s where I’m at right now—finishing projects, launching new ones, and polishing future releases. Thank you, as always, for being part of this journey with me.

Which of these upcoming stories are you most excited to read?

Behind the Book ~ How Beacon Security Began

  Found family, loyalty, and a dog named Duke….Sometimes a book idea starts with a scene. Sometimes it starts with a line

Beacon in the Darkness started with a woman who walked into the room like she already belonged—smart, snarky, and dragging secrets she wasn’t ready to share

 

Kat Dimitru didn’t just show up at Beacon Security looking for a job. She brought tension. Purpose. And the spark that made the team at Beacon Security feel like a team. She wasn’t even sure if she was going to stay in town. It all depended on if she got the position.

But some missions turn into something more.

I wasn’t planning to start a new series when Kat Dimitru walked into my imagination. She was grieving, determined, and quietly brilliant—the kind of woman who’s held everything together for too long. She didn’t feel like the start of a series. She felt like a storm.

 

But then came Mac.

And Duke.

And the rest of the team I couldn’t stop thinking about. (Though this whole team showed up when I wrote Third to Come Home. I wasn’t going to write their story. I hadn’t planned on it. They were just secondary characters, but Kat was the missing piece to tell their story.

Beacon Security was never going to be a traditional agency. I didn’t want rules and red tape—I wanted a place where people like Kat and Mac could find not just justice, but healing. A place where strength came with softness. Where people broke and rebuilt together.

The Origin of the Team

Beacon is a private security and intelligence firm run by non active duty Marines, intelligence, and law enforcement professionals who have one thing in common:

They believe in showing up when no one else will.

They don’t always follow the rules.

They aren’t all on good terms with their pasts.

But they have each other’s backs—and that changes everything.

The first book, Beacon in the Darkness, focuses on Mac, a non active duty Marine with quiet loyalty and layers he doesn’t talk about, and Kat, a forensic expert chasing the truth about her families. What starts as a private search turns into something bigger: an international rescue mission, a deep personal reckoning, truths being told, and the beginning of a new kind of family.

 

Why This Book Mattered So MuchI wrote this story in pieces—some during moments of burnout, others during huge surges of inspiration. But the heart of it stayed consistent:

What do we do when the systems that are supposed to help us… don’t?

What do you do when the people that you’re supposed to trust more than anyone, let you down and turn you away?

Beacon Security was born from these type of questions.And like any good found-family series, it starts with two people who are just barely holding it together—and find unexpected strength in each other.

Also: there’s Duke. He’s not just a dog. He’s loyalty on four legs. And he might just steal every scene he’s in. Okay he totally steals every scene he’s in.

What’s NextBeacon in the Darkness is just the beginning. Each couple in this series get two books—because some stories take more than one mission to complete.You’ll meet more of the team soon: tech experts with secrets, sarcastic field agents, sharp women with axes to grind, and veterans who’ve lost everything but still fight for others.

And yes, Duke is sticking around. We love Duke! 

Want to be part of the launch team?ARC invites for Beacon in the Darkness go out this month—click here to join the Whiskey & Ink Task Force or make sure you’re on my newsletter list so you don’t miss a thing.And if you’ve ever rooted for the broken ones, the brave ones, and the ones who keep showing up?

This series is for you.

 

 

 

June’s End & July’s First Page

Another month in the books.

Another page in the planner filled with scribbles, scene notes, and more coffee rings than I care to count

June in a MugfulIf June had a theme, it would’ve been quiet intensity.The kind of month where story threads pulled tighter, characters started whispering in the middle of the night, and the To Be Written list grew… again.Highlights: Preorders opened for Beacon in the Darkness! (And I’m still giddy about it.) Made solid progress on the current WIP—some days were word sprints, others were polite staring contests with the blinking cursor. Twitch streams were chaotic, cozy, and creatively energizing. Had some amazing chats with readers that reminded me why I do this.My desk setup on a typical June writing night. Caffeine: present. Clarity: debatable.

 

Creative Energy Check-InI won’t lie—June felt a little… full.Not in a bad way, just in a there’s-a-lot-happening-in-my-brain kind of way. I leaned into the messy middle, trusted the process (some days), and made peace with slow progress.If you’re feeling similarly? You’re not alone. Not every month needs to be a sprint. Some are just quiet build-up before the storm.Story Fuel. Some scenes come with teeth.

 

July Writing PlanHere’s what I’ve got queued up for the new month: Finish prep on Beacon in the Darkness and prep for release Keep drafting the next Waldon Springs story (I’m already attached and it’s a problem) More Ko-fi supporter content + chapter sneak peeks Consistent “Behind the Thread” moments on Threads Keep up Twitch writing streams (Tues 9 PM, Wed & Fri 8 PM EST if you ever want to hang out) Work on building my Discord server and my community there.Live. Writing. New Story Chaos. Bring Snacks!

 

What I’m Reminding Myself for JulShow up to the page, even if the words are slow.Protect the creative space.Let the story surprise me.

 

 

Thanks for being here—for reading, cheering, preordering, and just existing in this story-shaped corner of the internet. I’ll see you in July with new words, new scenes, and probably a new coffee mug.

Preorder Your Copy Now!

P.S. If you’ve already preordered – Thank you. I owe you coffee and chaos. If you haven’t, click the image above to do so today!

 

Meet the Hero of Beacon in the Darkness: Mark McKenzie AKA Mac

Tall, fiercely protective of the ones he cares about, guarded, and loyal to a fault-the hero of Beacon in the Darkness is everything I love in a romantic suspense lead.

 

He’s a non active duty Marine, now part of and co-owner of Beacon Security. He a bit softy but doesn’t want people to know that… except his dog, Duke. And the women he can’t quite let go of. Writing him was like unraveling a mystery I didn’t know I had the key for. He’s a projector, the big brother even though he has no siblings, and someone who will burn the world down for the people he loves. And he’s got secrets that will come back to bite them both.

Blurb For Beacon in the Darkness:

Kat Dimitru didn’t come to Beacon Security just for a fresh start—she came for answers. Behind her sharp mind and unmatched forensic skills lies a mission she’s kept hidden: finding out what really happened to her sister, who vanished without a trace years ago in Romania.

Mark “Mac” McKenzie, retired Marine and co-owner of Beacon Security, has built his life on protecting others. With his loyal German shepherd, Duke, at his side and a team he trusts at his back, Mac’s used to solving other people’s problems—not questioning the motives of the newest member of his crew. But Kat’s secrets are never far from the surface.

As cases bring them closer—culminating in the high-stakes search for an abducted child—Kat and Mac find themselves drawn into a web more tangled than they ever expected. For Kat, each step forward brings her closer to a past she’s never escaped. For Mac, every choice blurs the line between partner and protector.

When Kat’s journey takes her back to Romania on the anniversary of her sister’s disappearance, Mac has a choice: let her face the darkness alone—or follow her into the unknown. But some truths wait in the shadows. And what Kat finds there will change everything.

 

 

Early reader reactions “Ugh. He’s the perfect guy.” “I’m in love with the dog. And the man. But mostly the dog.” Get ready. He’s coming this September.

 

Want early access + deleted scenes? Join the Ink & Coffee Crew over on Ko-Fi.

Link: Ink & Coffee Crew

 

 

May Update: Plot Twists, Coffee Breaks, and a Bookish Peek!

Hey friends – hope May’s treating you well so far! Over here I’ve been juggling too many coffee cups and not enough hours of sleep, but last month ended on such a fantastic plot twist. One I’m excited to tell you all about. For now though, let’s chat about what I’ve been up to lately.

As you all know I started writing book four in the First to Fight series in April and let’s just say the book is a bit darker then I thought it was going to be. Not that I’m afraid of the dark or anything. Let’s just say, book four is going to be a bit of a tear jerker and Tyler is a bit more stubborn than I thought he was. Yep, if you didn’t know book 4 in the First to Fight series is Tyler’s love story. Hearing all of that you would think that was the plot twist I was talking about, guess what it’s not. Are you ready to hear the big plot twist I mentioned?

 

So the major plot twist that came to me at the end of April was in the form of another story, this one is for an anthology that will be published later this year in November. I have to have it written and turned into the publisher by August. That means, the plot twist is new characters, new story plot, and the amount of words it’s allowed to be. The amount of words being the biggest plot twist of all…I have to write something short! Can you believe I’ve agreed to this?

20,000 words! 

Yep you read that correctly, it has to be only 20,000 words at the most. It’s for a good cause though and it was a perfect fit for me. The story came to me instantly as well. I’m not releasing the title just yet, but for now I’m calling it Project Grief. It’s for a charity anthology for Wounded Warrior Project. If you don’t know what that is, CLICK HERE to find out more. It’s a cause that I support fully and I’m so honored to be part of this anthology. More about the actual story coming very soon.

 

So, this month I’m also trying a new daily schedule for a special secret project. It’s the first week and so far it’s going pretty well. I’ve gotten a lot accomplished. I had been struggling with motivation and waisting so much time during my days. That of course was driving me insane so I came up with this project to see if anything I did would help. I’m going to be trying a few different schedules out for the next month or so and see if one sticks. Then I’ll be writing up a blog post all about it to share what worked for me and what could work for other full time authors.

Only part that my schedule is missing is coffee breaks though, so I’ve got to figure out where to add those in there. Because we all know my coffee breaks are important!

 

My main goals for May is to honestly finish the first draft of Project Grief and go through revisions for Beacon in the Darkness so I can get it ready for Preorder! I have a few other goals but these two are the main ones for this month.

I would also like to:

Get my Discord Server up and running (organized)Give this new schedule and honest tryCreate and Schedule my Social Media posts for the monthAs well as get my Ko-Fi tiers ready to go for the start of Project Romance next month.

So much to do and honestly it feels like there’s never enough time, but I’m hoping this new schedule will help with that.

So, I did promise a sneak peek into my newest project, so here’s a glimpse at the first couple lines of Project Grief. Now, keep in mind this isn’t edited and the first lines could change. It’s still the first draft and during second and even third drafts I tend to change the first lines.

I couldn’t help but stand there.  My hands holding a cardboard box that now held some of her things.  Staring at the house that was once was filled with so much joy. Now, it was empty. 

 

I’m excited about this project, it’s going to be sad writing it though. I started writing it on my Twitch Stream the other night and almost cried twice while writing. So, we shall see how it goes. I will ask that you cross your fingers and send me some good vibes that I can keep this story at 20k words. I tend to be an over writer as most of you already know.

Anyway, I hope you all have a good weekend and as always happy wording/reading!!

 

 

Rough Draft Challenge Update: Week 2

So, another week has come and gone. I swear time sure does fly by, especially when you’re trying to get all the words down. I would say on paper, but that wouldn’t be correct; more like on the screen. Anyway, this week went a bit better than last week as far as the Rough Draft Challenge went. I got some words this week. I didn’t write every day, but it was close to every day this week.

Let’s take a look at what I accomplished and added to my manuscript this week:

The 8th was the first chance I got to sit down and get words to my WIP. It was a crazy week once again. On Tuesday, I was able to get 2,001 words added to my manuscript, which, of course, made me happy, but again, I’m a bit behind and was trying to catch up. 

 

On the 11th, I was able to get more words and added another 2,126 words to Project Fourth. That was the last day I was able to add any words. Sadly, my eyes started hurting that night while streaming, and that was pretty much it for writing. 

That put my weekly total at just over 4k for the week. Not where I wanted my word count to be, but I’m looking on the bright side and remembering that is four thousand words more than I had before this week.

Here’s a glimpse at one of my streams from this week over on Twitch. You can always watch the replays over on my Youtube channel as well if you miss the live. 

 

 

It’s been a bit of a struggle for me this month. Not sure if maybe the break I took wasn’t long enough for my eyes to chill or what, but I’m hoping this next week will be better. I did try to take the weekend away from my computer as much as I could, so hopefully, that will help. 

Time to start another week. We’ve got a week in a half left of the Rough Draft Challenge. Let’s hope I can pull some big word counts out this week. Wish me luck! Think I might need it. 

 

Rough Draft Challenge Diaries: Day’s 2-5

So, the whole daily posting thing kind of went out the window. Though, in all fairness, I did say I might not do daily posts. Daily posts are actually kind of hard. Anyway, let’s recap days two through five of the Rough Draft Challenge for me so far.

So day two, I was able to get 2,000 words written and added to my WIP. It was another great writing day. I’m enjoying these characters so far, but one of the said characters is a bit harder to write than the other. The story also has some dark bits to it, but I’m enjoying the plot so far. I wrote a pretty dark scene on Day 2, waiting to hear back from my alpha reader on that one.

 

Day 3 of the Rough Draft Challenge was a bit of a bust. Thursdays are typically pretty busy days for me and I didn’t have a chance to get a single word, sadly. So day three doesn’t have much of an update.

 

This week has been a bit of a bust other than hitting that 10k on the first day. I wasn’t able to get any major words on Day 4. Sadly, I had a bit of a rough day. I’m trying hard to give myself a bit of grace here, but my inner voice is telling me I’m behind now. Even though I’m not behind, I should be at around a little over 6k by Day four. I’m still ahead, but we all know how the inner voice tries to mess with us. Anyway, let’s see how Day 5 goes!

 

Day five was just what I needed! It was double down day over on author Sarra Cannon’s Hearties group and that meant I was supposed to…you know sit down and actually write some words. Well I did just that! On double down day you’re supposed to double what you would normally write. I didn’t meat that goal, but I did add some words to my word count. YAY!

By the end of Day five I was able to add another 2k to my word count and honestly, with the week I had, I was very happy with that.

 

So, even though I had a few rough days this week, I was able to get almost 15k words added to my WIP. That’s honestly not a bad start for the Rough Draft Challenge for me. I’m hoping this upcoming week will be better, but I know I should also celebrate my wins even if they’re not as big as I had hoped. 15k words isn’t a small feat and I know that.

Anyway, how are you all doing? Are you participating in the Rough Draft Challenge? If so, how’s your writing going?

Rough Draft Challenge Diaries: Day 1

So, yesterday was day one of the Rough Draft Challenge for April. I’m so excited to be participating in this challenge once again. I have big plans and I’m hoping I can stick with it this month. I’ll explain all of them below, but first, if you didn’t know, the Rough Draft Challenge is hosted by one of my favorite authors, Sarra Cannon. You can find more information about the challenge over on her Youtube Channel. 

The Rough Draft Challenge is a writing challenge where you get to pick your goal and starting April 1st, we will be trying to meet said goal throughout April. (This is the second round of this challenge. The first one was in November of 2024)

My Writing Goal for April

For the challenge, I’ll be working on the fourth book in the First to Fight series. For right now I’m calling it Project Fourth. (I’m not sharing the actual title till later; I will probably do a title reveal later this year.) I’ve chosen to go for the Ruby tier and shoot for 50k this month.  I’m also going to try to not only post updates over on my Instagram daily, but hopefully post updates here on the website. I make no promises, though. Sometimes life happens, and blog posts slip through the cracks. I will try my hardest, though, to do daily, if not weekly, updates here on the website/blog. I enjoy taking everyone along on my author journey with me. I hope you enjoy it as well.

 

Recap of the First Day of the Challenge

Yesterday, the first kicked off the first day of the challenge and typically, when I do a challenge like this, I try to get pretty far ahead that first day. With that in mind, I made my first-day goal 10k words. I was able to reach said goal and now I feel a bit at ease for the rest of the challenge. With 10k already written, I have 39,909 words left to write throughout April. Not a bad start if I do say so myself. All in all, it was a great day of writing, and getting the first words of Project Fourth added to my Scrivener document felt amazing. Starting a new project is always fun for me.

(So here’s my small recap in one image!)

 

 

Twitch Writing Streams

 

I plan to keep to my regular writing Twitch stream schedule, which will help me keep up and reach that 50k mark by the end of the month. If you haven’t followed me over there, CLICK HERE to do so. I would love to hang out and chat with all of you.  I stream Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 8 PM EST.

 

 

Tonight’s stream was a bit quicker than I thought it would be. By the time I was ready to stream, I only needed about 4k words to reach my goal of 10k. So it only lasted a few hours. Though it was a great stream and I got a lot done. It’s not always this short.

 

Overall it was a great day of writing, and I can’t wait to share more of the process with all of you here through my blog/website. If you’re participating in the Rough Draft Challenge and would like to cheer each other on, let me know in the comments!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ko-Fi Subscriptions and the New Tiers

So, I did another thing

I love starting my blog posts like that. I’m trying to get so many things accomplished and I know they all take time, but I’m the kind of person that likes to start marking things off my list. So that’s pretty much what I’ve been doing. This week, I set up different subscription tiers/plans over on my Ko-Fi. I’m very excited about each of them, but I’m really excited about two of them. So those are the two we’re going to talk about the most today.

 

 

The first of which is something I’m calling Learn to Plot VIP!  It’s for authors/writers who want to learn the art of plotting. I am a huge plotter, and I don’t like to gatekeeper anything that I’ve learnt. We will be meeting once a month, going over everything step by step. We will be meeting live through video, and you’ll get a chance to ask me all the questions you’ve been wanting to ask. We’ll be walking through creating great characters, setting up your story bible, different types of outlining, different ways to plot, and so much more.

You’ll also get a chance for me to help you plot your book from start to finish. This subscription tier also comes with Notion templates as well as printables for your plotting notebook. I can’t wait to help you plot your next book.

The second tier that I’m extremely excited about is one that I’m calling Project Romance VIP!  Now, if you’ve been around any of my social media, you know that I’ve been working on a story called Project Romance. I’m releasing this book differently than I would normally release it, and it involves Project Romance VIP! I’m turning this book into a serial to start. I’m going to release the book chapter by chapter. The amazing readers that join this tier over on my Ko-Fi will get a chance to help me choose character names, choose if anyone dies or lives. You’ll get to read the book before anyone else, and you will also get an e-book of the stories once they are released. I’ll also have special giveaways for this tier as well as so much more.

Project Romance is a paranormal shifter Why choose novel/series.  The main female character will end up with more than one guy.  Project Romance is the series title for these five books and you will get a chance to know the titles before each book is released.  You’ll get all of this way before anyone else. It’s going to be so much fun! I can’t wait to share these stories with all of you.

The Other Tier’s that I’ve Added

I’ve added two new supporter tiers over on Ko-Fi. These are for anyone who would like to support me; they come with access to my reader Discord server and a few behind-the-scenes looks at some of my writing projects. I’ve also added my book club over there as well.

Like I said, I’ve added a few different things to my Ko-Fi this past week, and I’m so excited to see everyone there. If you haven’t followed me over there, CLICK HERE  to do so and join in all the fun. Also really quickly, I want to say thank you to anyone that does join one of my new tiers over on Ko-Fi. I hope we have tons of fun together.