Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work.
Today: CJ has always been an avid reader of anything in print, enjoying all genres but drawn to science fiction and romance.
She was happily introduced to the wonderful world of M/M romance, immediately loving it. CJ began writing M/M romances incorporating them in her science fiction stories, and has never looked back.
She lives in North Carolina and is happily married to her wife and soulmate who is a writer as well. CJ is co-parent to Frankie, also known as the Prince of Darkness, who keeps a benevolent paw over all that occurs in the home.
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Thanks so much, C.J., for joining me!
J. Scott Coatsworth: How long do you write each day?
C.J. Dragon: I write every day for three to five hours.
JSC: How long on average does it take you to write a book?
CJD: One to two months usually. I try to write a chapter a day.
JSC: How long have you been writing?
CJD: My first book was published in 2022, but I’ve written fanfic since I was a teenager, and always kept a journal.
JSC: Do your books spring to life from a character first or an idea?
CJD: I usually have an idea about the same time my character shows up, complete with a name.
JSC: Name the book you like most among all you’ve written, and tell us why.
CJD: I like Price of Surrender because it was the beginning of my Daranii Series. Those characters feel like family now.
JSC: Were you a voracious reader as a child?
CJD: From the moment I learned to read, I’ve been reading. I still read for hours every day. My TBR stack is huge!
JSC: What are some day jobs that you have held? If any of them impacted your writing, share an example.
CJD: I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family therapist. Relationships are the most important part of my writing. All of my books feature characters with strong relationships as a result.
JSC: If you could choose three authors to invite for a dinner party, who would they be, and why?
CJD: C.S. Poe, Gregory Ashe, and Katherine Addison. I am in awe of their writing abilities, and have read all of their work.
JSC: Would you rather be in a room full of snakes or a room full of spiders?
CJD: I’ll take snakes over spiders every time!
JSC: What are you working on now, and what’s coming out next? Tell us about it!
CJD: I am writing the second book in my Merx Series, titled Paradigm. Each book in the series features a mercenary hired to protect one person. In Paradigm, it’s a doctor who goes to planets to treat patients, and subsequently finds trouble. It’s slow burn with lots of snark, and I’m having a great time writing it! The first book in this series, Parallax, debuted on January 28.
And now for C.J.’s new book: Parallax:
Renowned artist Devon Morton is always on the go, traversing exotic planets for Universal Geographic. Capturing mesmerizing images and videos of the awe-inspiring wonders on each planet, Devon seems oblivious to the lurking dangers that come with uncharted territories. Consequently, he’s always shadowed by a bodyguard.
Strangely, he’s run through three bodyguards in just two years–a bizarre track record, considering none of them was severely harmed. Devon’s exasperation is building up: What if Merx Security runs out of bodyguards?
Enter Julian Neilsson, a seasoned mercenary, and Devon’s potential fourth bodyguard. Rightfully skeptical, Julian ponders one question: Is guarding a young, absorbed vid-pix artist that arduous? He soon discovers that it’s not just Devon’s art that captures his attention but the young man himself, potentially sparking an unexpected romance.
If only Julian can resist the urge to strangle the oblivious artist first…
Get it On Amazon
Excerpt
Devon Morton woke with a barely cut-off scream, his arms outstretched as though doing a spectral push-up. His heart thumping out a marathon beat, he opened his eyes to his tiny berth on the Astra Explorer and gulped down a breath, coughing as it caught halfway to his lungs. His mind moved back to his nightmare, making him scrunch his eyes closed, as though that would help.
He’d been walking through Osto, a planet of weird, wonderful life forms and so much color. Shooting vid and pix, eye in the viewfinder, he’d tripped over a large root, almost falling into the gaping maw of a Grentza. His cry and the Grentza’s subvocal roar abruptly cut off when his bodyguard, Brad, pulled him back and away from certain death.
Staring into the toothily lined mouth of the Grentza was a thing of horror, and the alien’s sounds of their own fear filled the heretofore quiet forest. Using his translator to stammer an apology, the Grentza was still, then snapped their mouth shut before pulling themselves out of their nest to roll off further into the underbrush. Grentza -1, Morton -0. He couldn’t blame them. They were herbivores. Inadvertently swallowing/killing him would mean ritual suicide for the ‘Za. An apology hardly cut it when that was the punishment for mistakes.
Brad had checked him over impersonally, ensuring his breather was on properly, before suggesting they return to the ship. Devon, more shaken than he let on, agreed. The traipse back was done in utter silence, save for the squirmy chirps and trills of the indigenous life. He’d parted with Brad at the rampway, went through decontamination, then returned to his quarters to check his images. The near-death episode, sadly routine, was quickly stuffed into the cellar of his mind.
Having Astra’s SIC inform him that Brad had terminated his employment with Universal Geographic, leaving Devon without a minder, was not exactly a surprise, but certainly an inconvenience. Luckily, the ship was on its way back to home base on Mars, the trip to Osto an afterthought. UGeo could hire someone else to keep an eye on him, couldn’t they? He was, after all, one of their prized vid-pix artists.
Sitting up with the sad recognition that he was done sleeping for the night, Devon tossed his covers back and slid down to the deck. Taking a very quick shower, he combed his dark hair back, sticking a clip in it so it would stay. He pulled on a dark blue flight suit and ship shoes to match, before starting up a precious caffeine drink. aptly known as ‘fiend’. Flipping his comp on, he trained his mahogany-colored eyes on the vid screen. He might as well start weeding out the crappy pix from the winners. He’d find food later.