KJ Charles writes romance, mostly m/m, mostly paranormal., fantastical, magical, historical, and wordy. She is the author of The Magpie Lord. She is an editor by trade, and lives in London.
I've been writing as long as I can remember (which is longer than I like to admit). I started creating M/M romances in high-school, filling binders with stories about what Starsky and Hutch really did on their days off. (Pretty PG-rated stuff - we're talking sheltered fourteen-year-old here. I was into the romantic possibilities.) Any potential writing career got side-tracked by forays into art, psychology, teaching, and a biomedical profession. And the challenges of raising children.
When I took up the keyboard again it was just for fun, writing books for my own entertainment. At about manuscript seven, my epically patient spouse told me that if I was going to spend that much time at it, I should try to get published. And he kept saying it, loudly, until I submitted one. And it was accepted! Life Lessons was published May 2011 by MLR Press. A first short story, And to All a Good Night - Life Lessons 1.5, that follows it was soon made available here, and the Life Lessons series is now complete at four MLR Press novels and three free short stories. I've been delighted by the reception my work has received, and I have other books and short stories in print. If you want a short, free taste of my work that stands alone, consider "Like the Taste of Summer", also available here.
My very first Smashwords book, Lies and Consequences, started as a kind of reaction after the November 2010 elections when the DADT repeal looked like it might be derailed. Then I was caught by surprise as I finished the book in December and the repeal passed. I tweaked it by upping the action, and deemphasizing the DADT subplot. The result was something lightweight, but hopefully fun. So I put it out as a free read. I hope you enjoy it. I really appreciate reviews - what you liked and what you didn't. Maybe your comments will help turn the next good book into a better book. KH
Jordan L. Hawk grew up in the wilds of North Carolina, where she was raised on stories of haints and mountain magic by her bootlegging granny. After using a silver knife in the light of a full moon to summon her true love, she turned her talents to spinning tales. She weaves together couples who need to fall in love, then throws in some evil sorcerers and undead just to make sure they want it bad enough. In Jordan’s world, love might conquer all, but it just as easily could end up in the grave.
