Award-winning author LJ Evans lives in Northern California with her husband, child, and the three terrors called cats. She's written compulsively since she was a little girl, often getting derailed mid-task by a song lyric that sends her scrambling to jot a scene down.
A former first-grade teacher, she now spends her days deep in the pages of romance and mystery with a bit of the otherworldly thrown in. Her stories are known for fierce heroines, protective heroes, and found families, following characters who live resiliently—stubbornly and triumphantly navigating this wild ride called life with hope, love, and hard-earned happily-ever-afters.
Her novels have won multiple industry awards, including Charming and the Cherry Blossom, which was named Writer’s Digest’s Self-Published E-book Romance of the Year. At the heart of every story LJ tells is her belief that love is the only real superpower.
Find out how Taylor Swift inspired LJ to publish her first novel, and how the book community saved her life…
Welcome. I’m really glad you’re here, and I truly hope we can get to know each other. To start us off, here’s a little bit about me.
I’ve loved books and writing for as long as I can remember—long before I was brave enough to share my stories with the world. I was the kid who read ahead in class, the sister who swapped books late into the night, and the writer who filled notebooks with scenes inspired by emotion, music, and the hope of happily-ever-afters. Writing has always been part of who I am—it just took time, courage, and the right spark for me to finally share my words with others.
That spark came from Taylor Swift. In the days leading up to her Red tour, my child and I were listening to her songs on repeat, and one song in particular, “Mary’s Song (Oh My, My, My),” lit a story in me I couldn’t ignore. The characters for my debut novel, My Life as a Country Album, appeared fully formed, and each song after that handed me another piece of their plot.
The words literally poured out of me, and when I was done, I loved what I’d written with every fiber of my being. Even so, I still wasn’t brave enough to publish it. It took over three years, and more inspiration from Taylor Swift, before I worked up the courage to take the leap.
Reading this quote was what finally pushed me over the edge:
“Be yourself, chase your dreams, and just never say never.”
—Taylor Swift
Hitting publish was terrifying. But it led me to this extraordinary book world full of readers who crave stories that make them feel, fellow authors who've become dear friends, and a found family I didn’t even know I needed, until everything changed for me again…
Eighteen months after I published my first book, my health took a dive. An incurable, chronic illness reshaped my world and forced me to leave my teaching career. I lost a piece of my identity—but thankfully, I still had my stories. They became my anchor, and the book community became my support system. Writing is no longer just a passion. It’s a lifeline, a way to process pain, celebrate resilience, and remind myself (and others) that healing is possible.
So, whether you’re here for small-town romance, protective heroes, fierce heroines, or stories that don’t shy away from pain before finding hope, know this: I write for anyone who needs the reminder that even in the hardest chapters of our lives, its our human connections which have the ability to save us. And I write for readers who believe love is worth the fight.
That’s why, at the heart of every story I tell, is a truth I believe to the depths of my soul:
Love is the only real superpower
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Now that you know a bit about me, I hope you’ll reach out and tell me a little about you.
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With Love,
LJ
My dream is that someday, I'll be able to tell Taylor in person just how much she changed my life and helped make my dreams come true.
Become one of LJ’s newest book friends, by subscribing to her newsletter and downloading several free eBooks, including Perfectly Fine.