Author L.A. Goodman

Hello friends! Welcome to my new blog space adjoined to my website. And speaking of my website, you should definitely check it out. One of my very best friends and the husband (Batman) have helped to make it amazing. While we still have a few more things to tweak, it’s pretty much finished, and I could not be more pleased with it!

Here we are, one week on the other side of the release of The Nothing Place, the second book in the Ash Bennett series, and I feel both elated and sad to be done with this bit of the story. On one hand, I have TWO (2) solid books out, and that in itself is pretty darn cool! On the other hand, a big shift in the story occurs between books two and three. As we all know, big changes can be hard.

As often happens in life, doors close, we get rejected, the path gets blocked, the future we expected becomes obscured, circumstances force us to alter a well-laid plan. We hear a resoundingly emphatic NO, whether literally, or from the universe at large,and we’re forced to reevaluate and change course. It’s just part of living.

In fiction, this sort of discourse moves the story along, sometimes humorously, and sometimes in devastating fashion. In real life, the conflict of an unexpected plot twist can have serious consequences. The question is, what do we do in midst of conflict, change, rejection, or a failed plan? It’s in those moments we discover who we are, what we are truly made of.

What do we do when we’re forced into profound, unexpected changes? Do we sit and wallow in our pain and hurt? Sure, that’s fine, as long as you eventually move forward. Do we ignore that it happened, get up, dust ourselves off, and pretend everything’s fine? Deal with the fallout at a later, yet to be determined, date? I’ve been known to do that. Or do we find ourselves implementing a mixture of both?

While Ash’s story is fantasy, entirely made up and ofttimes riddled with outlandish scenarios, at its core, the characters face very real, very human, conflicts and emotional turmoil. I like to think they’re relatable in all their flaws and quirks and imperfections. Their fears, their loves, their loyalties, their beliefs, and the mistakes they make along the way, are normal, not fiction at all.

Even while writing and editing, I found myself smirking at a comment or becoming worked up or teary-eyed during a particularly poignant scene. How can we not have an emotional response to a very real moment of fear or hurt, silliness or bravery?

It’s said when one door closes, another one opens. When you’re smack in the middle of it, other doors can be difficult to see. There’s always another door, though, another choice to be made, and another path to travel. It’s there, waiting for you in case you want or need it, I promise.

Book one, Old Souls, was about questioning everything. Book two is about searching for truths. I hope you feel the same rollercoaster of real emotions while reading it as I felt while writing it. And, subsequently, I hope you look forward to the big changes coming in book three. Rest assured, Ash has already made a to-do list of prioritized problems to tackle one at a time in the third installment of his story. As Enya says in book two, we love that about him…mostly.

As always, the best way to continue to help and support an author you enjoy (without any extra cost to you) is to leave a review on all books on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Share the book, talk about it, put it in front of new eyes. So many of you already go above and beyond in doing these things, and I cannot thank you enough!

Happy reading, my friends! Love and light!

L.A. Goodman

Old Souls, an Ash Bennett story, book 1

The Nothing Place, an Ash Bennett story, book 2