Indie Author Insight – J. Lawrence
This week I interviewed Indie Author J. Lawrence. Lawrence is the author of Inborn.
On Spirituality
Do you believe in Angels or Faeries?
I believe that there are other beings out there just beyond our senses. I don’t really know what I’d call them, but I do feel that they’ve been watching over me at times. I would like to think they are beautiful flying beings but I sometimes wonder if that is just our interpretation of what our rescuers should look like.
Have you ever had a spiritual experience, involving synchronicity, angels or Spirit etc?
I wish.
Do you believe in life after death? Why?
Good question. I do, although I can offer no proof of any kind whatsoever to back that up. I guess it comes down to this for me… I just can’t believe that all of this around us is the product of blind chance. It is too elegant, which leads me to believe that it is only a shadow of the next world.
Have you ever had a near-death experience?
Only when I run out of coffee. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
Do you believe in God?
Yes, the designer of the elegance we know as life. I always feel as though I am drawing closer to God. I have yearned for the connection since I was a small boy. Due to some horrific experiences I have watched others go through around me I find it difficult to believe that God is intricately involved in our day-to-day existence.
On Life
If you won several million pounds in the lottery, what would be the first thing you would do?
Let my boss know that I would happy to train my replacement, but he better learn quick.
Who is your favourite Visionary/Spiritual Author?
Maybe it is the writer in me, but as I think about journeys of the heart I think of David, the ancient King of Israel. He was quite a flawed man, yet his passion for God, evident in the Psalms attributed to him, is heart-rending stuff. It is also great fodder for the fiction writer in me.
Have you ever experienced the ‘dark night of the soul? If you did, how did you get through it?
When I feel the dark, I ask myself a question. What one small thing can I do to improve the moment? It has to be simple and quick, so that I can realize an immediate small change. Once I make that happen, I do something incredible. I repeat it.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I would really like to go back to Iceland. I was born there and met my high school sweet heart there. We are still married 27 years later. The cold rugged terrain inspired the setting of my first novel.
On Writing
Do you believe that your work is divinely inspired? That the words come from a higher source?
I like to believe that I have something to say with my work that has deep spiritual roots. What you ask? To find the answer to that, you have a lot of reading to do. (My series, not the blog interview.) But to answer as straightly as I can, let me ask you a question. If the higher source is the Creator, then isn’t art, indeed fiction, his craft anyway? Caves are painted with stories all across the globe. Just about every religion is founded on some story of one kind or another. Jesus himself used parables to communicate to the masses. So, what do I take from this? As an author I am the wielder of a powerful art. I can touch people in a way many others cannot. I will not abuse this gift and use it only for monetary gain. I intend to enlighten. Of course it is nice to eat too.
What inspires you to write?
It doesn’t work like that for me. My characters and their plights are running in the background 24/7. The moment I can sit down to write, it just starts going.
Do you schedule time to write or just when the inspiration takes you?
Too busy for a schedule. I write when I can.
Are any of your characters based on yourself?
Great question. They all are, each to some extent. I’m a pretty twisted guy, so I need all the writing therapy I can get.
On being an Indie
What motivates you to be an Indie Author? Is it the control? The possibility of making more money? Or just because you want to get your books out there as soon as possible?
When I found out how much of a percentage and Indie Author makes on each sale, I never even tried to send it to an agent or publishing house. I just figured if it was going to happen and I wrote a breakaway hit, I’d like my family to benefit the most.
If you could give another Indie Author just one piece of advice, what would it be?
Write a book you love.
Where can we find you and your books online?
Amazon US J. Lawrence on Facebook
Amazon UK J. Lawrence on Goodreads
