My Writing Journey by C.J. Laurence

I am pleased to be able to introduce author C.J. Laurence to the blog today. It is always interesting to me to discover how authors come to be writers. I hope you will find it interesting too. Thank you for your time today, C.J. and thank you for sharing your story with my readers.

Thanks for inviting me to your blog today, Val. I'm glad to be able to share my writing journey today. It really began in 2014. Up until then, horses had always been my therapy—my escape from reality and a way to reconnect with myself. But as life pressures mounted, I found that horse ownership was becoming harder to sustain. Letting go of something that had been in my blood since I could walk absolutely crushed me, but I had to be practical.

What I didn’t expect was how much I’d miss the mental release. Without horses, I had no way to quiet my thoughts or give my soul that “ahhh” of relief that only certain passions provide.

At the time, I was still processing the trauma of an abusive past relationship. One day, I sat down to write—not a book, but just to release the chaos in my mind. What unfolded was the start of a story deeply rooted in exorcising my own demons. It all began with one question: What if?

What if someone had saved me?

What if I’d found my happily ever after?

What if he’d actually been worse?

That story became Retribution. Though it wasn’t the first book I published, it was the first I wrote, and from it, a whole world of “what ifs” began to grow. Some books carry fragments of my truth. Others are pure escapism. But they all spring from that same core curiosity.

Fast forward to now, and I’m 16 books in (with number 17 nearly complete), spanning genres from contemporary romance and PNR to urban fantasy, YA horse adventures, and soon horror, middle grade, romantasy, and epic fantasy. My stories explore emotional truths often hidden from the world. Some are spicy, others fade to black. Some are dark and raw, others offer light and laughter. But all contain rich plots, immersive worlds, and characters that readers can resonate with.

My most recent project, Werewolves & Warfare, is slated for release in October 2025. It’s the third book in my Shadowed Souls Saga—a steamy, emotionally charged paranormal romance with elemental magic, fated bonds, and twisted loyalties. Through Kyla, my fierce and fractured heroine, I delve into what it means to carry power, grief, and love at once. The series is about healing, identity, and the burden of destiny—but it’s also about rebellion. About defying the expectations others put on us, and the ones we put on ourselves.

Recurring themes in all my work include found family, survival, redemption, emotional resilience, and the kind of love that burns rather than soothes. I love exploring the light and dark within us all, and I blur the lines between good and evil as often as I can. Whether it’s demon princes, broken cowboys, or haunted witches—you’ll always find heart at the centre of my stories.

Self-publishing gave me the freedom to chase purpose over perfection. Now, I walk this path one story at a time, hoping that somewhere, someone finds the book they needed most—just when they needed it.

The Author

C.J.Laurence would love to say that writing has always been in her blood and that she owes her strange imagination to a relative she barely knew, but as far as she knows, she's one of a kind from my family (in more ways than one).

During the day she works as part of a transport planner for a busy haulage company. Outside of work, she writes, drools over pictures of horses, cars, wolves, birds of prey and stunning landscapes, indulges in films and books, and occasionally socialises with friends.

Conspiracy theories, the supernatural, and the darker side of human nature fascinate her. 

The author is a thirty-something mother to a fifteen year old boy and 3 cats.