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L.J. Thomas

@ljthomasbooks

1.9K

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1997

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✍️ Author of YA fantasy, paranormal & sci fi books
📖 Genre-hopping reader
💻 Engineer
✈️ Traveler
📍 Minnesota
🚫 NO Gen AI
📚 🏹 WS 🗝️ TBK ❄️ SoS 🌻 Ghosts

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It's here!!! My weird little historical mystery with Gothic vibes, ghosts, and Great Lakes lore is out in the world today. Available in ebook, paperback, and on KU! 👻🖤🦋

So many people have helped make this book happen. A huge thank you to my beta readers, launch team, editor, and cover designer. I'm also very grateful to the historians and hobbyists who keep blogs about 1890s society, fashion, slang, etc! 🖤🌻🌊

Thank you to my ARC readers for taking a chance on the book and for leaving reviews for others curious about the book. Reviews are like gold for indie authors!

Speaking of reviews, if you have already reviewed the book (on Goodreads, for example), don't forget to copy your review over to Amazon today now that it's out!

This book might have been my most challenging yet, not because the story was complicated, but because I had to work around limitations due to a brain injury during the final editing phase. I'm so happy I was still able to get it out this year at the quality I wanted. AND this book has even shattered my prior preorder record, so thank you so much to everyone who has shared it on social media 🖤🌻🍁

Happy reading!! I hope you all enjoy this one this spooky season 👻🕯️🎃

#spookyseasonbooks #booklaunch #bookrelease #yagothicbooks #paranormalmystery taken in BOOKSTA by @ljthomasbooks

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17 days ago

📚 Happy National Read a Book Day from me and my (soon to be) four published books! 📚

🏹 My first book was WE SURVIVORS, a post-apocalyptic sci fi perfect for fans of The 5th Wave, The 100, or The Last of Us. 😷🧬

🥀 Next came THE BLOODY KEY, a Gothic reimagining of the Bluebeard fairy tale that's perfect for fans of Crimson Peak, House of Salt and Sorrow, or Belladonna. 🕯️🏰

❄️ My third book was SONGS OF SNOW, a wintry fantasy inspired by Icelandic mythology which fans of East, Hunted, or classic YA fantasy like Ella Enchanted or The Goose Girl will love! 🦄🏔️

👻 My latest book (releasing at the end of the month) THE GHOSTS OF GUNFLINT BAY is a paranormal murder mystery set in 1890 on the shores of Lake Superior. Fans of Ginny Myers Sain, Erin A Craig, and classic sleuths like Nancy Drew will love this one! 🌻🌊

What are you reading today??

#nationalreadabookday #readabookday #booklovers #readersofinstagram #authorlife taken in Bookstagram by @ljthomasbooks

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a month ago

They're 10s but they have some issues...

You can meet these characters - Evangeline, Arthur, Jonah and Lucy - in my upcoming novel THE GHOSTS OF GUNFLINT BAY. If you like haunted lighthouse, historical settings, Gothic vibes, family secrets, and slow burn romance, this one's for you! Preorder now for the discounted price of $2.99 🖤🌻👻

Portraits by the talented @lesyablackbird 💕

#characterart #hesa10but #gothicfiction #2026books #yamystery taken in BOOKSTA by @ljthomasbooks

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3 months ago

Today's the last day of Latine / Hispanic Heritage Month, so before it ended I wanted to suggest some wonderful authors to add to your TBR all year round! 📚

Who am I missing? I'm always looking for more! Spanish language recommendations also accepted since I'm fluent 🫶 The last four were my favorites from my Latin American literature class in college. 🌻📚

#hispanicheritagemonth #latineauthors #latinxbooks #autoreslatinoamericanos #bookrecommendations taken in BOOKSTA by @ljthomasbooks

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12 hours ago

A day late for Indigenous People's Day, but there's never a bad time to read or recommend books by indigenous authors!! 😍

Not sure where to start? I'd recommend NEVER WHISTLE AT NIGHT, which is a horror anthology of short stories. You can sample prose from many excellent Native and Indigenous authors by reading it and then explore their further works. For example, Cherie Dimaline, Tommy Orange, and Rebecca Roanhorse, whose books are also pictured here, all have short stories in the anthology. It's also perfect for spooky season, AND they just came out with a sequel anthology if you need even more! 🎃📚

#indigenouspeoplesday #indigenousauthors #neverwhistleatnight #bookrecommendations #bookstoread taken in BOOKSTA by @ljthomasbooks

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3 days ago

She's here!!! There's nothing like holding your finished book in your hands for the first time... 😍🖤🌻

Thanks for all the love for Ghosts over the last week or so since release!! If you've read it, don't forget to leave a review 🫶

Stay tuned, because I'll be giving a signed copy & a book box full of goodies on here a little closer to Halloween 🎃👻

#authorgoals #authorsoﬁnstagram #2026books #spookyseasonbooks #flowerflatlay taken in Minnesota by @ljthomasbooks

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7 days ago

I have exciting news!! 🎉 I am an attending author at the Fall Fantasy Book Faire in LA this weekend! Stop by to say hi or purchase signed books and character art! 😍

I'll have my four YA books available:

🥀🗝️ THE BLOODY KEY - a Gothic reimagining of the Bluebeard fairy tale

❄️🦄 SONGS OF SNOW - a wintry fantasy adventure inspired by Icelandic myths

😷🏹 WE SURVIVORS - a post-apocalyptic novel with found family & very weird science

👻🌻 THE GHOSTS OF GUNFLINT BAY - a Gothic murder mystery with ghosts & Great Lakes lore (also my latest book - out only a week ago!)

Free character art with any purchase! 🖼️ I'll also be giving away bookmarks and a signed paperback + book box full of goodies to one lucky winner. Hope to see you there!

#authorlife #authorevent #fallfantasybookfaire #dragonsanddreamsevents #fantasybooks taken in Los Angeles, California by @ljthomasbooks

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10 days ago

Recently finished reading WELL VERSED, the final installment in @jendelucawrites's Ren Faire rom com series!! I can't believe this series is finished, but I was so excited for this book since I'd thought the previous one was actually the last in the series. Bonus book! 🌹👑⚔️ And look at the super fun swag from preordering through @mostlybooksaz 😍

In this installment, Caitlin (who started off the events of WELL MET by having her aunt get involved in the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire) is 10 years older, back home and at the faire after being laid off from her corporate job, and getting a second chance at romance with a Shakespeare-loving faire performer 👀

It was so fun to get a glimpse into the lives of all the other couples from the other books too, and there were lots of "full circle moments." I especially liked the last line of the book and how it mirrored the first line of the first! 👑🌹♟️ Highly recommend reading this one, even if you didn't keep up with the whole series so far!

#wellmet #wellversed #contemporaryromance #nerdsinlove #2026books taken in BOOKSTA by @ljthomasbooks

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11 days ago

Huge THANK YOU to everyone who helped me celebrate my book launch yesterday!! 🎉 I am so excited that The Ghosts of Gunflint Bay is out in the world and ready to make your spooky season even spookier 👻🖤🎃

#authorgoals #authorlife #booklaunch #2026books #authorsoﬁnstagram taken in Minnesota by @ljthomasbooks

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15 days ago

The Ghosts of Gunflint Bay.

A YA paranormal gothic small town story with secrets, twists, qnd a murder mystery.

And even more importantly. Don’t forget the ghosts. by @ljthomasbooks

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17 days ago

This is such a beautiful, suspenseful book with an impeccable gothic atmosphere. I highly recommend giving it a read! by @ljthomasbooks

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17 days ago

🕯🍂👻HAPPY RELEASE DAY👻🍂🕯
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So, so, so thrilled to help with the launch of THE GHOSTS OF GUNFLINT BAY by @ljthomasbooks !! Had the honor of reading an early draft of this spooky little book, and it is the PERFECT cozy autumn read!

An atmospheric Great Lakes Gothic inspired by the lakes' ghostly folklore and tales of phantom ships, TGoGB follows sisters Evangeline and Lily Greenslade as they settle in the titular Gunflint Bay nestled on the chilly shores of Lake Superior following their parents' deaths. Once there, they are embroiled in a plot of scandal and horror after a local girl's body is pulled from the lake and the local lighthouse keeper, and the Greenslade's great-uncle, is accused of the murder.

Mysteries, ghosts, clairvoyance, weird girls, paranormal lakes, slow burn romance... this book has it all, and I cannot recommend this one enough, especially for fans of the eerie atmosphere and sisterhood of Krystal Sutherland's HOUSE OF HOLLOW and the heartwarming ghost story of Aiden Thomas's CEMETERY BOYS.

HAPPY RELEASE DAY!!👻🍂🕯
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#gothicbooks #paranormalbooks #yabooks #indiebooks #indieauthor by @ljthomasbooks

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17 days ago