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Knockers

I was reminded recently that if I put up a website, that I should expect some knockers and negative feedback.

I’m aware of that, and I can’t say that any of us are ever comfortable with criticism or trolling, but with books, everyone has different taste and what one person loves, another will detest. Life isn’t all sunshine and roses.

I used to think that a four star review was not great but now I realise that four star means the reader really enjoyed the book. Five star are more rare and when I think to my own reviews, I rarely give someone a five star. On social media, the author community joke that you are not a true author until you have received a one star review. I did receive one on Amazon for A True Witch Book 1 and interestingly, I know it was not from someone who actually bought the book. Amazon allows a person to review any book including ones that have not been purchased provided the person has met a certain criteria such as spending a certain amount of money on Amazon over a time period. There are trolls everywhere and even competitors who like to muddy the water. These things happen.

My books are fast moving and the focus is on the story. Although I promote that I write ‘fantasy’ – my books are not Game of Thrones type with dragons and alternative worlds of magic, swords and weird creatures. My books are generally contemporary with a low fantasy element, possible paranormal or slightly horror.

Constructive criticism is great as a writer is always looking for ways to improve the experience for the reader, and you are welcome to send me feedback privately, or publicly if you prefer.

Blog

Writing Style

I find it interesting reading my earlier books and noting that my writing style has changed a little as I’ve matured as a writer. I used to be a tad too formal in character dialogue, for example a character may say, “I am feeling hungry,” whereas now I write “I’m feeling hungry.” My character dialogue flows more smoothly these days.

I do tend to adhere to a similar structure with my books.

One piece of feedback I received is that I write like it’s a screenplay. If that means each chapter is a scene on its own, then I would say that is correct. I personally find it challenging to read a book where chapters run over different scenes and different characters and the chapter seems to go on forever. It’s so easy to get lost. I prefer to focus on one character per scene – per chapter.

I like to keep each chapter reasonably short and entertaining, and try to captivate the reader at the start of the chapter and at the end. I want the reader to want to turn the page to see what happens next. That was key in the James Patterson Masterclass I completed. I also like to add an unforeseen twist in the story somewhere. It’s not as exciting and almost a little boring, to know what is about to happen in a story. If I can shock or surprise the reader, then I’m pleased.

I also hate sad or grisly endings and I think we all have that desire for justice to be served and the good guys to win, but I like to think we can have our happy ending and still leave something in the air, perhaps room for a second book. I do admit that I had a rather bizarre ending in Babies Garden, and I make no apologies for that. I can’t make it too easy to guess the ending.

I’m also aware that so far, all the main characters have been female and morally good people. In The Passive Observer, the main protagonist is a slightly overweight, middle-aged and an ordinary looking woman living in a normal, everyday house. Heroes can be overweight, middle-aged and ordinary to look at and are not all beautiful, young and desirable.

Maybe one day I will write with a male as the main protagonist but it is unlikely. Women are the heroes of my stories.

 

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The Procrastinator

It is so easy to put off the things we would like to do and think there is plenty of time left to do it another day. I think I spent much of my life procrastinating and assuring myself that I could do it next year when I am not so busy. The trouble with that train of thought is that the next year is often busier than the previous year and so on. One day, you realise that you are not getting any younger and still haven’t done something you really wanted to do.

That is the way I am with writing. It is something I had always wanted to do – ever since secondary school. I attended English and English Literature in the year above my own year, and I remember the teacher telling my mother that I should be writing books. Somehow, life ran away with me and it wasn’t until 2015 that I crawled out from the thick fog and realised that time was running out. If I didn’t start writing soon then one day, I would find myself an aged woman who never achieved her goal of writing.

I enrolled in an online Masterclass with James Patterson and this prompted me to make a start. I wrote White Lilies and it sat as a file on my computer for years, unsure what to do with it, or perhaps, not confident enough to do anything with it. One night I had a vivid dream which became Viktoria, and it was the first time that I lived the book as I was writing and cried when it ended. I was determined to publish Viktoria as I felt it was unusual and special, and I still feel that way. I investigated various options and went with self-publishing through Amazon, so Viktoria became the first book I published. White Lilies followed though I admit it is my least favourite.

As of this time in 2026 I have written and published over eight books and I really hope that there will be many more to come. If only I had started much earlier in life, I could have had dozens by now. Better late than never.

 

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Why Self-publish?

Why did I choose to self-publish?

 

I chose to self-publish rather than the traditional route for a number of reasons and I’ll outline the good and bad:

  • Immediacy – With self-publishing, I am in charge of the timeline and can choose when my book is edited, proofed and published. As soon as the book is complete, I can upload it online, along with all associated files and information and request publication. This enables me to then move on and concentrate on my next venture, whereas with traditional publishing, a book can take up to two years to work it’s way though the various steps prior to publication, and that is once you have been accepted by a publishing house. Most authors have been rejected countless times over many years prior to publishing one of their books. The well-known author, James Patterson, admits that he was rejected hundreds of times in the early years. How discouraging that must be.
  • Control – I have control over many aspects of the book and publication, opting my own book cover or using one of their templates available. I am able to choose which countries I wish the book to be published in and recommended retail price, although there are certain printing costs that must be covered. I can choose publication in paperback, hardback or ebook, or all three, and preview how the book will appear on phone, tablet and as a paperback. I can also update details or content from time to time. I feel with traditional publishing, there is a formula to be followed which includes book signings and attending events, of which I have no intention of participating in. I prefer to sit in my own quiet space and write.
  • Community – There is a great online community for independent authors with many happy to provide advice or help, as well as many supportive readers who promote the Indie Authors through their own social media channels. Many bookstores now also stock Indie Author books and the number is growing.
  • Promotion – One of the downsides for an Indie Author is that you must be active on social media and promote yourself and your book. There is not a traditional publishing house behind you to promote your work so it is up to you. For many years, I sat back and did not participate in actively seeking sales or readers, but now I am active and have a small following of readers.
  • Quality – I have heard people dismiss Indie Authors, especially those on Amazon as having poor quality or unedited books. While I’m sure these exist, they are not the majority and not the norm. Indie Authors work very hard to perfect their books and I see as many errors in traditionally published books as I see in Indie books.

I hope you enjoy my books.

Fear of the Night

Fear of the Night

Fear of the Night

Nyctophobia * Night fears * Evil spirits * Afraid of the dark

When Bailey meets Mitchell Murphy, she is convinced he is the man of her dreams, except for one small problem. He has nyctophobia, a fear of the night and locks down his house like a fortress every evening before dark. Bailey accepts this new way of life along with the restrictions associated with only venturing out in the daylight.

Mitch begins counselling with the psychologist, Dr Elsie Craig in an attempt to lead a more normal life and Bailey discovers that there are a number of incidents in Mitch’s childhood where his family believe something dark and malevolent has tried to take Mitch’s life at night.

Dr Elsie Craig and Bailey work toward understanding what is phobia and what is real, and in the process, put their own lives at risk.

WHERE TO BUY

Amazon (ebook & paperback)https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CYXYG3SC

Fear of the Night – the idea

The idea for Fear of the Night grew when I contemplated the ingrained fear I have always held of the night or the dark. I prefer a night life on in the bathroom, and hate total darkness. I would never be caught outside in the dark without a light on, and even then, I will be glancing around with heart thumping, wondering if there is anything out there about to devour me.

Where does this fear come from?

I’m not aware of any childhood events that would cause me to be this way and I certainly haven’t grown out of it as an adult, though when my children were young, I pretended to be brave. It was only my arachnophobia that I wasn’t able to hide. Luckily, my fear of spiders didn’t rub off on them.

Are we all a little afraid of the night and the dark?

Perhaps it is the old films we sneakily watched when we were children, hiding behind the couch so our parents didn’t realise we were out of bed. I remember being terrified of old Dracula movies in particular, and one of my children was terrified of the movie, The Blob.

If there really was something out there, hiding in the dark and waiting for us to venture by, what would it look like? Would it have a tangible shape or be a mysterious ghost like spectre? What would it want from us?

Perhaps, we are born with this fear as it would be difficult for us to defend ourselves from predators when we can’t really see around any detail around us. Instinct tells us to be afraid, and I am all for, listening to what my instincts tell me.

These are the ideas behind the writing of Fear of the Night.

The Brays

The Brays


Fiction * Fantasy * Paranormal * Urban * Contemporary
Layne was born with enhanced senses, keen athletic skills and the ability to heal fast. Her parents disappeared when she was three years old and she was raised on a farm by her grandparents. She spent her life suppressing her abilities to appear normal as her grandparents wished to protect her.

Then when she was nineteen years old, she left the farm to study at university in Melbourne and suddenly, everything changed. A guy at university seemed to have the same abilities as Layne and the disappearance of her parents takes on a very sinister tone. Layne finds out she is a hybrid and one that may face being eliminated.

Layne transforms from naïve country girl to a powerful woman in a race to protect her family, the man she loves and herself.

WHERE TO BUY

Amazon (ebook and paperback)https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08VJKYXVD
Booktopia (ebook)https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-brays-l-j-fox/ebook/1230009969568.html
Kobo (ebook)Kobo >

 

The Brays – the idea

I worked in the Melbourne CBD for many years, catching a crowded train for over two hours per day, as well as moving through crowded Melbourne streets. On many trips I was very aware of the odours of other commuters around me, at times I found these odours over-powering and difficult to ignore. It made me think about other members of the public and I wondered if everyone could detect the same odours that I could. Did some people have more enhanced senses than others? If you had super sensitive senses, how would you manage to move about in a crowded public place?

Along with enhanced senses, there is so much diversity with people regarding their strength, speed, intelligence, and even the thickness of their hair and strength of toenails and fingernails. Is there a perfect standard, like we create a standard for showing dogs or horses? What would a human standard look like and what is considered the perfect person?

I pictured a whole race of people who did have enhanced senses and powers, and religiously protected their own people. The Brays began to take shape.

Babies Garden

Babies Garden

Babies Garden

Fantasy * Paranormal * Psychological thriller * Early Melbourne * Clifton HIll * Baby Farming

Jared and Elise can’t believe how fortunate they are to be living in an old house in Clifton Hill that has been in Elise’s family for over 150 years. Immediately, Elise begins hearing a baby crying at night and Jared often finds her searching for the crying baby in the house or the garden. After she begins to exhibit strange behaviour, Jared begins to believe she has a physic connection with one of her ancestors.

Digging in the vegetable garden, Elise unearths the skull of a baby, and police excavate the remains of over a dozen more babies. Several have died of natural causes but many have been murdered.

What happened in this house over 150 years ago?

WHERE TO BUY

Amazon (ebook & paperback)https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07TFS8829
Kobo (ebook)Kobo >

Just finished reading Babies Garden author by @ljfoxau
With the characters based from Yeovil Somserset ( where one branch of my family hail from), it covers the endurance these early immigrants had to endure.
With a psychological twist I wasn’t expecting.
Fantastic read.

Instagram

This was my first read from this author and I read it in one sitting – I couldn’t put it down. Didn’t see the twist coming! I also really loved the references to real historical people / events, I learned something. – Amazon

Babies Garden – the idea

Early Melbourne, family history, psychological thriller and dead bodies, what could be more exciting to write about?

My father grew up in Clifton Hill just across from the Merri Creek, and the layout of this house is the same as his childhood home. Of course, my father’s childhood was many years later than this story is, but old Clifton Hill and Collingwood have always fascinated me, as does the early years of Melbourne itself.

I conducted a lot of research to ensure that many of the facts fitted in, including when Clifton Hill was settled, where the old quarry was located, when the first tram car travelled out to Clifton Hill and the tough times the early settlers faced when they arrived in old Melbourne with the intention of heading out to the gold fields.

The backyard is also the same as the one my father grew up in with the wood shed and outside toilet in the same location. Having researched baby farming in early Melbourne and Sydney, I wondered … what if my father had been tending a vegetable patch in his backyard and found baby burials? What if … it turned out the murderer was one of his relatives? What if … ?

White Lilies

White Lilies

* fiction * mystery * romance * cosy * contemporary *

Ellen, a successful city girl with a banking career and a lonely life after the death of her mother, is contacted by a solicitor with news she has been bequeathed a property at Warburton, Victoria by a grandmother she never knew existed.

Although upset that her mother kept her grandmother a secret all her life, she renovates the old house and relocates to Warburton, where the mystery deepens. What happened to her grandfather? Why did her mother leave the house thirty-five years ago without any clothes or belongings? What happened to the older, grumpy neighbour?

Whose human remains are discovered on the property?

White Lilies is a short, easy-to-read, cosy Australian mystery with a touch of murder, romance and family history.

White Lilies

AVAILABLE VIA AMAZON

Available as ebook or paperback and on Kindle Unlimited.
First 2 chapters are available as a free sample.

VIEW NOW

 

Thought this was a really good book, loved the storyline. More interesting with location of the story, which gives some insights into the Aussie bush and history of the area.
Characters were well rounded and easy to like, the heroine’s journey from city girl to country was lovely, and I loved her dog!
Can’t wait for more from this author, and having also read “Viktoria” I would urge everyone to give that a try as well. Very different genre to “White Lilies” and an exciting read.

Goodreads

 

White Lilies – the idea

White Lilies was the first book that I wrote though the second one I published.

Many of us like to think that there may be a secret relative somewhere unknown to us, who leaves a significant bequest to us when they pass, not unlike when we are children, thinking that perhaps we are a kidnapped prince or princess growing up in normal society when there is a castle and country looking for us.

What if, there really was a secret relative who died and left a property to you, but there was a sad story attached to it? A relative that you wish you had known, who would have meant more to you than the bequeathed property?

Inheriting a country property would be life-changing in so many ways, and if it happened to a city career girl, what would the changes in her life entail? Then, I imagined a horrible family mystery that had kept the city girl separated from the relative that she should have known and loved.

Of course, it also had to happen in a town that I am familiar with, having worked my first job in Warburton after leaving school.

Viktoria

Viktoria

Fiction * Science Fantasy * Adventure * Sub-genres: Romance & Horror

Viktoria chronicles the epic survival of a winged, prehistoric female sharing a common ancestor with man, stranded on a South American island for over 100 years with a broken wing.

Captured after killing an Australian backpacker, and with evidence of previous human kills, Viktoria is relocated to a facility in Wyoming, United States, for research. After a dramatic escape, she journeys across the country and beyond, seeking her homeland and her own kind.

Interwoven into the tale are – the nerdy scientist shadowing Viktoria, passionately trying to save her; the widow of the backpacker, initially regarding Viktoria as a demon, who transforms into an advocate for her species; the journalist following the story; and the Australian cattle farmer’s daughter who discovers a flock of ‘demon humans’ living in her backyard.

We share a common ancestor … but can we share our world?

Artwork by Wendy Frere.

Available from:

Amazon (ebook, paperback)https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/1764413652
Barnes & Noble (ebook & paperback)https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/viktoria-lj-fox/1138741500?ean=2940196239601
Dymocks (paperback)pending
Booktopia (ebook)https://www.booktopia.com.au/viktoria-l-j-fox/ebook/9781764413640.html
Kobo (ebook) (free on Kobo Plus)https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/viktoria-9

I was so enthralled with Viktoria that I read the entire novel in two sittings. Each chapter brought a new surprise and the entire story was full of mystery; keeping me guessing right up until the end. It’s hard to review without giving too much away, but I thoroughly enjoyed following along with the journey of each character and, in particular, unveiling the driving motivations behind the creature of which this novel is so aptly named.

Goodreads

 

Viktoria – the idea

I had an extremely vivid dream one night several years ago. In my dream, four Australian backpackers were on a remote island in South America and walked into a faded old green hut and confronted a winged, human-like creature.

This dream became an obsession with me and I saw Viktoria in my mind and thought about her constantly. Eventually, I decided to write the story down, even if it were only to help me sleep at night and lay her to rest.

Of course, the story took a mind of its own and I cried writing the final chapter, as I had lived Viktoria for so long and dreamed so vividly of her, that she had become a real entity. I missed her.

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I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we operate throughout Australia and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

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