Ask the Author: C.J. Lyons
Answered Questions (24)
C.J. Lyons
No, no relation
C.J. Lyons
Hi, Jocelyn! I'm thrilled that you're enjoying Jericho and Wright!
Unfortunately, the publisher has expressed no interest in continuing the series, so until I can get my rights back, there are only the three titles... so much trouble those two could get into (and they are so very in tune with current events!) makes me eager to write more once I do have the freedom to do so!
Take care and happy reading!
CJ
Unfortunately, the publisher has expressed no interest in continuing the series, so until I can get my rights back, there are only the three titles... so much trouble those two could get into (and they are so very in tune with current events!) makes me eager to write more once I do have the freedom to do so!
Take care and happy reading!
CJ
C.J. Lyons
Of course, I'd be flattered--as long as they enjoy my books as well, lol!
Thanks and happy reading,
CJ
Thanks and happy reading,
CJ
C.J. Lyons
Hi Daniela! Great timing--the new Lucy Beacon Falls novel, LESSER EVIL, will be out in May 2020.
Thanks for reading!
CJ
PS: if you receive my Thrillers with Heart newsletter you'll get advance notice of new releases
Thanks for reading!
CJ
PS: if you receive my Thrillers with Heart newsletter you'll get advance notice of new releases
C.J. Lyons
Hi Deja, thanks for writing--what's the biography for? I have an indepth bio and how I came to be published (including my "break out" book, BLIND FAITH) on my website: https://cjlyons.net/about-cj/
I'm a Capricorn. Fun extra fact if you need it: WATCHED is the only book I've written where I actually scared myself! The bad guys in it are based on real life criminals and it was terrifying to realize they could actually get away with those types of crimes!
Changed my entire approach to using the internet and devices! Even taking photos--now I delete all of the geo-tagging data that is included in any pix posted.
Hope that helps!
CJ
I'm a Capricorn. Fun extra fact if you need it: WATCHED is the only book I've written where I actually scared myself! The bad guys in it are based on real life criminals and it was terrifying to realize they could actually get away with those types of crimes!
Changed my entire approach to using the internet and devices! Even taking photos--now I delete all of the geo-tagging data that is included in any pix posted.
Hope that helps!
CJ
C.J. Lyons
Hi, Dick! I'm thrilled that you're enjoying the books in audio. There have been some delays (we lost one of our voice talents, etc) but we're working hard to catch up and am hoping to release several new audiobooks this year.
Thanks for asking!
CJ
Thanks for asking!
CJ
C.J. Lyons
Hi Marti! Totally depends on what kind of book you enjoy--I have over forty titles.
If you want a thriller, I'd go for SNAKE SKIN, the first of my Lucy Guardino FBI Thrillers. If you like to see relationships develop and enjoy medical/techno thrillers, then my Fatal Insomnia Trilogy. Enjoy a little romance with your thrillers? Try either the Hart and Drake series or my Shadow Ops thrillers.
You can find info on all my books here: http://CJLyons.net
Hope that helps!
CJ
If you want a thriller, I'd go for SNAKE SKIN, the first of my Lucy Guardino FBI Thrillers. If you like to see relationships develop and enjoy medical/techno thrillers, then my Fatal Insomnia Trilogy. Enjoy a little romance with your thrillers? Try either the Hart and Drake series or my Shadow Ops thrillers.
You can find info on all my books here: http://CJLyons.net
Hope that helps!
CJ
C.J. Lyons
Hi Harry! I'm thrilled that you're enjoying the Hart & Drake novels--the four books take them from first meet to marriage (after also taking them basically to hell and back) so right now I figure they deserve a little break.
If I find a story that fits their new life together or maybe a way to let them enter one of my other series' worlds (like maybe crossing into a Lucy story) there might be more, but right now it's just the four books.
Hope that helps,
CJ
If I find a story that fits their new life together or maybe a way to let them enter one of my other series' worlds (like maybe crossing into a Lucy story) there might be more, but right now it's just the four books.
Hope that helps,
CJ
C.J. Lyons
I've actually used several mysteries from my own life as a Pediatric ER doc in my novels as inspiration (I never, ever use real life people!) these include a Munchausen by Proxy case (SLEIGHT OF HAND) along with several child homicides/abuse cases. (FACE TO FACE)
Life as a pediatric ER doc definitely has provided me with a ton of insight into people at both their best and their worst.
Life as a pediatric ER doc definitely has provided me with a ton of insight into people at both their best and their worst.
C.J. Lyons
Hi Elaine! The Hart and Drake stories begin with their first meeting in NERVES OF STEEL, continues through their romance in SLEIGHT OF HAND and FACE TO FACE, and as of now, has its finale with their Christmas wedding story in EYE OF THE STORM.
These two lost souls went through a lot (and I mean, a lot!) to find their happily-ever-after, so I'm tempted to leave them in peace...but of course, if the right story comes along or the chance to give them "walk on" roles in one of my other series like the Lucy Guardino thrillers or the Renegade Justice series, I'll definitely go for it!
But for now, the series has just the four books. If you sign up for my Thrillers with Heart newsletter at www.CJLyons.net, you'll be the first to know when/if that changes!
Thanks for reading!
CJ
These two lost souls went through a lot (and I mean, a lot!) to find their happily-ever-after, so I'm tempted to leave them in peace...but of course, if the right story comes along or the chance to give them "walk on" roles in one of my other series like the Lucy Guardino thrillers or the Renegade Justice series, I'll definitely go for it!
But for now, the series has just the four books. If you sign up for my Thrillers with Heart newsletter at www.CJLyons.net, you'll be the first to know when/if that changes!
Thanks for reading!
CJ
C.J. Lyons
Yes, all of my books are character-driven, which at times can make them a challenge to walk the line between true-to-life and entertaining...after all, in real life most sociopaths are really boring, but yet, as a villain we need to make them interesting to a reader. I think that's why I love writing Morgan as, unlike adult sociopaths, she has it in her to change--or at the very least use her powers for good. Whenever I write her, I often think of the quote from the Wizard of Oz: are you a Good Witch or a Bad Witch? Morgan is still trying to figure that out, which makes her tons of fun to read, although a challenge to write!
C.J. Lyons
Thanks, Sue! I think one of the things readers love about the Lucy books (and one of the things that I love about writing them) is that no two are alike...yes, they all have the trademark Lucy touch, that emotional heart and fast-paced adrenaline rush, but they range from pure thriller (SNAKE SKIN) to dark, psychological suspense (BLOOD STAINED) to balls to the walls action (KILL ZONE) to high-intensity survival story (AFTER SHOCK)...can you tell I get bored easily, lol?
Thanks again for your kind words, they made my day!
Thanks again for your kind words, they made my day!
C.J. Lyons
Sue, thanks so much for asking! I'm thrilled that you're enjoying Lucy's adventures--and yes, she has many more!
Here is a list of her FBI Thrillers:
SNAKE SKIN
BLOOD STAINED
KILL ZONE
AFTER SHOCK (this novella is available exclusively on Amazon as an ebook or you can find it included in the Special Edition print version of HARD FALL as a bonus read)
HARD FALL
BAD BREAK (a novella, ebook only, available everywhere)
Then come her new adventures at Beacon Falls, starting with LAST LIGHT which just released this week. Book #2 of the Beacon Falls Mysteries, DEVIL SMOKE will be out in July, followed by OPEN GRAVE next Feb.
Hope that helps! Happy reading!
CJ
PS: if you want to keep up to date with new releases from me, you can sign up for my mailing list or check out the book page at my website: www.CJLyons.net
Here is a list of her FBI Thrillers:
SNAKE SKIN
BLOOD STAINED
KILL ZONE
AFTER SHOCK (this novella is available exclusively on Amazon as an ebook or you can find it included in the Special Edition print version of HARD FALL as a bonus read)
HARD FALL
BAD BREAK (a novella, ebook only, available everywhere)
Then come her new adventures at Beacon Falls, starting with LAST LIGHT which just released this week. Book #2 of the Beacon Falls Mysteries, DEVIL SMOKE will be out in July, followed by OPEN GRAVE next Feb.
Hope that helps! Happy reading!
CJ
PS: if you want to keep up to date with new releases from me, you can sign up for my mailing list or check out the book page at my website: www.CJLyons.net
C.J. Lyons
Thanks, Athena! Your kind words made my day!
Happy reading,
CJ
Happy reading,
CJ
C.J. Lyons
Hi Sandy! Barnes and Noble will not carry any Thomas-Mercer (the publisher of AFTER SHOCK) digital book. You can read it on some newer Nooks via the Amazon Kindle app, or if you like print books, AFTER SHOCK is included in the print Special Edition of HARD FALL (which BN does stock) as an extra bonus. Hope that helps! CJ
C.J. Lyons
Hi Melliott! Thanks so much for asking!
FIGHT DIRTY stands alone, so you don't necessarily *need* to read any other books, but if you want to learn more about who Morgan was (and how she first began her initial baby steps on her path to redemption) then you may want to pick up the second and third books from my Lucy Guardino FBI Thriller series.
BLOOD STAINED introduces Morgan and her father. KILL ZONE continues Morgan's story as she works under the radar with Lucy and Jenna (that's putting it nicely, she pretty much stalks them)
Hope that helps! Happy reading,
CJ
FIGHT DIRTY stands alone, so you don't necessarily *need* to read any other books, but if you want to learn more about who Morgan was (and how she first began her initial baby steps on her path to redemption) then you may want to pick up the second and third books from my Lucy Guardino FBI Thriller series.
BLOOD STAINED introduces Morgan and her father. KILL ZONE continues Morgan's story as she works under the radar with Lucy and Jenna (that's putting it nicely, she pretty much stalks them)
Hope that helps! Happy reading,
CJ
C.J. Lyons
Juliet, hi there! Thanks so much for asking. After 27 books, it's a tough call. I guess it depends on your mood.
My Lucy Guardino FBI Thrillers are my most popular series, featuring a Pittsburgh soccer mom who's also a kick-ass FBI agent working crimes against children. Lucy is very human and fallible, always caught in the universal tug of war we all face in juggling work and family, but in her case her work is saving kid's lives from the worst bad guys imaginable.
I will warn you (in fact, these books are the only series I know of that come with a warning in bold right on the book page!) the crimes and bad guys I use in these books come from real life, so they are very dark--many readers label them as hard-boiled. The first Lucy book is SNAKE SKIN.
If you enjoy a touch of romance with your thrillers, then either my Hart & Drake medical suspense series (it starts with NERVES OF STEEL) or my Shadow Ops series, starting with CHASING SHADOWS, might appeal.
Hart & Drake is darker, following one couple, a Pittsburgh police detective and ER doc, from the time they meet until they get married. Both are scarred souls, so the stories are about how they heal each other through their love (and catch some really bad guys along the way).
Shadow Ops is about a team of cover ops and those books are lighter, fast-paced, beach-read thrillers.
Both Hart & Drake and Shadow Ops books have sex scenes in them, in case that matters. And in all my books, my characters speak like real life people in extreme circumstances do, so yes, there is the occasional swear word.
Many folks come to my work via BLIND FAITH, another FBI thriller, which won the International Thriller Writers' Thriller Award.
You can find info on all my books here on Goodreads or on my website: http://cjlyons.net
Happy reading!
CJ
My Lucy Guardino FBI Thrillers are my most popular series, featuring a Pittsburgh soccer mom who's also a kick-ass FBI agent working crimes against children. Lucy is very human and fallible, always caught in the universal tug of war we all face in juggling work and family, but in her case her work is saving kid's lives from the worst bad guys imaginable.
I will warn you (in fact, these books are the only series I know of that come with a warning in bold right on the book page!) the crimes and bad guys I use in these books come from real life, so they are very dark--many readers label them as hard-boiled. The first Lucy book is SNAKE SKIN.
If you enjoy a touch of romance with your thrillers, then either my Hart & Drake medical suspense series (it starts with NERVES OF STEEL) or my Shadow Ops series, starting with CHASING SHADOWS, might appeal.
Hart & Drake is darker, following one couple, a Pittsburgh police detective and ER doc, from the time they meet until they get married. Both are scarred souls, so the stories are about how they heal each other through their love (and catch some really bad guys along the way).
Shadow Ops is about a team of cover ops and those books are lighter, fast-paced, beach-read thrillers.
Both Hart & Drake and Shadow Ops books have sex scenes in them, in case that matters. And in all my books, my characters speak like real life people in extreme circumstances do, so yes, there is the occasional swear word.
Many folks come to my work via BLIND FAITH, another FBI thriller, which won the International Thriller Writers' Thriller Award.
You can find info on all my books here on Goodreads or on my website: http://cjlyons.net
Happy reading!
CJ
C.J. Lyons
I don't believe in writer's block. One thing I do struggle with is that every book I’ve written has been written differently—for some reason, my mind simply refuses to accept a template or method that I can use repeatedly.
I’ve plunged into books with nothing more than an opening line…I’ve written one book backwards, scene by scene…I’ve had complex character emotional arcs totally worked out in detail but no clue what the actual plot was…every book is a fresh challenge and a new struggle, but with my deadlines I simply don’t have time for any kind of block.
I guess that’s my greatest secret weapon: give me a deadline and I’ll beat it every time.
I’ve plunged into books with nothing more than an opening line…I’ve written one book backwards, scene by scene…I’ve had complex character emotional arcs totally worked out in detail but no clue what the actual plot was…every book is a fresh challenge and a new struggle, but with my deadlines I simply don’t have time for any kind of block.
I guess that’s my greatest secret weapon: give me a deadline and I’ll beat it every time.
C.J. Lyons
The best piece of advice is what Jeffery Deaver said to me after my first book was published. He told me, “Never forget, the reader is god.” I now try to make every business and creative decision based on that ideal: what will delight and excite my readers so they’ll tell their friends about my books?
C.J. Lyons
I'm hard at work on the fifth Lucy Guardino FBI Thriller, HARD FALL. It'll be published in September, 2014
It's a very emotionally intense follow up to AFTER SHOCK and, like most of my books, based on real life cases...the bad guy is probably the most vile and heinous villain I've ever created, but he pales in comparison to the real life men he's based upon!
It's a very emotionally intense follow up to AFTER SHOCK and, like most of my books, based on real life cases...the bad guy is probably the most vile and heinous villain I've ever created, but he pales in comparison to the real life men he's based upon!
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