DARK JUSTICE: AUTHOR Q&A with Angela Smith @angelaswriter #interview

Today's guest Angela Smith, author of the romantic suspense novel, DARK JUSTICE. We're happy to have him her today to talk about her book, writing and what surprised her about getting her book published.

Welcome to The Writer's Life! Now that your book has been published, we’d love to find out more about the process. Can we begin by having you take us at the beginning? When did you come up with the idea to write your book?

Dark Justice began with Luke, the hero, who spent time in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. I work full-time for a District Attorney’s Office, so this was a topic that interested me. Especially after a man in Texas had been released after twenty-five years. He was accused of murdering his wife, and new evidence came to light that exonerated him and sentenced the true murderer. It created a lot of new laws for prosecution, which is wonderful, but what he went through is heartbreaking. So I came up with the character, Luke, who was falsely accused when he was 18. He served time for twelve years before being exonerated. Lauren, who was the love of his life before he was accused of murdering her sister, now works for the DA’s office that prosecuted him. I first came up with these characters, and the plot naturally followed.

Who is your publisher and how did you find them or did you self-publish?

I self-published this one. I wanted complete control and didn’t want to wait years, as it often takes. Laws continue to change that could greatly affect this novel, and the longer I wait the more unbelievable it would become. Twelve years ago, DNA wasn’t like it is today. Prosecutors in Texas didn’t have to give out all evidence or even test for DNA like they do now. And honestly, I’ve been with publishers and wanted to do this myself.

Do you believe a book cover plays an important role in the selling process?

I absolutely believe a book cover plays an important role. Writers might work with words, but the visual aspect of a cover is a huge deal for me.

How hard was it to write a book like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the journey easier for other writers?

Dark Justice was the hardest I’ve ever written. A tumultuous relationship between the hero and heroine, which started as a second-chance romance, soon turned into enemies to lovers. Many emotional aspects of this novel tore my soul apart at times. And re-developing the relationship between Luke and Lauren once Luke was released from prison was fun, exciting, and challenging. I’ve never cried with my own books, and I didn’t write this in a way to make people cry, but some of the things I wrote tore into my soul. My tip is to just write. Tear into your soul if you must. Open your heart. And don’t let fear or doubt or insecurities block you from writing the book the way it deserves.

What other books are you working on and when will they be published?

I’m currently under contract with a sweet Christmas contemporary, which was a great palette cleanser for me. We are in the editing stages and have no release date yet.

What’s one fact about your book that would surprise people?

I work fulltime for a District Attorney’s Office, where I have been for twenty-one years now. I used my knowledge from working there to fuel this novel.

Finally, what message are you trying to get across with your book?

Love is a mystery waiting to be solved! It might never be solved, but I hope to entertain readers along the way.

Thank you again for this interview! Do you have any final words?

Thank you so very much for interviewing me!

Angela Smith is a Texas native who, years ago, was dubbed most likely to write a novel during her senior year in high school. She always had her nose stuck in a book, even hiding them behind her textbooks during school study time. Her dream began at a young age when her sister started reciting ‘Brer Rabbit’ after their mom read it to them so often. She told her mom she’d write a story one day and never gave up on that dream even though her mom was never able to see it come to fruition. By day, she works as a certified paralegal and office manager at her local District Attorney’s office and spends her free time with her husband, their pets, and their many hobbies. Although life in general keeps her very busy, her passion for writing and getting the stories out of her head tends to make her restless if she isn’t following what some people call her destiny.

★ WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS: ★

Website → http://www.loveisamystery.com

Blog → www.loveisamystery.com/my-blog

Twitter → www.twitter.com/angelaswriter

Facebook → www.facebook.com/authorangelasmith

Goodreads → https://tinyurl.com/y48996ej

BookBub → https://tinyurl.com/yxr9ezxy

Title: DARK JUSTICE
Author: Angela Smith
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 249
Genre: Romantic Suspense

BOOK BLURB:

She’s in love with her sister’s killer...

Lauren has loved Luke since first grade. They planned to marry—until he murdered her sister. The moment he was sentenced to prison, Lauren fled with her secret baby and made a new life. Now she’ll do anything to keep their daughter safe. But her hard won peace shatters when Luke is exonerated, and it sets her on a path of mixed emotions to discover the truth. Letting a killer into their tightly knit family is out of the question. Or is it?

She almost destroys her life by threatening his…

Prison stole his future with Lauren and twelve years of Luke’s life, so the last thing he needs from her is a knife in the back or a gun in his face. Lauren believes he killed her sister, and he has no plans to pick up where they left off. Luke can’t afford to trust her, but he wants nothing more than to convince her he’s worth fighting for.

Their daughter is in danger…

Luke is heartbroken when he learns they had a child together. Now his daughter is in danger. Lauren trusted the wrong person for far too long, but he hopes she’ll now trust him. Luke will risk everything to keep them safe. And Lauren will risk everything if she lets him into her heart.