#23 S.J. Pajonas
Hello, everyone on Earth and the Moon! I’m Stephanie, an author, and a lucky participant in the Writers on the Moon project. You’re probably here to learn a little more about me, right?
I’m a writer, knitter, amateur astrologer, Capricorn, and Japanophile. I’m also a USA Today Best Selling author (Aug 2018). I love foxes, owls, sushi, yoga pants, Evernote, and black tea. When I’m not writing, I’m thinking about writing or spending time outside, unless it’s winter. I hate winter. Someday I’ll own a house in both hemispheres so I can avoid the season entirely. I’m a mom to two great kids, Camille and Deanna, and one feisty dog named Lulu Ninja Assassin. I live with my husband and family outside NYC. When it comes to my work, I write about everyday women and uncommon worlds.
I’m a graduate of Michigan State University where I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunication with a minor in Film Studies in 1998. My strength was Creative Writing and Screenwriting, and I did both for over 10 years before I stopped writing to learn how to build websites (it paid the bills). My last job before having a family and getting back to writing was coding and web programming for HBO.com.
Besides writing about writing on my blog (at https://www.spajonas.com/blog), I also write about knitting, science fiction, astrology, and all things Japanese and Asian.
I have included some of my work in this moon time capsule I thought you might want to know about…
The Nogiku Series – A quartet of books set in a post-apocalyptic future city populated almost exclusively by Japanese citizens, harnessing the cultures and old traditions of Japan in a modern setting. Its themes appeal to people who know nothing about Japan and those that love it unconditionally. All five books in the series, REMOVED, RELEASED, REUNITED, RECLAIMED, and REVEALED are included in the time capsule, plus a Nogiku Series Guidebook!
The Hikoboshi Series – This is a spin-off of the Nogiku Series that takes place a generation later on the trip to reunite the two Japanese planets colonized by Earth hundreds of years prior. Be sure to check out the first book of the series, CRASH LAND ON KURAI.
The Flyght Series – This sci-fi romance series is for fans of Firefly and Killjoys. Travel the Duo Systems with Vivian and the crew of the Amagi. Check out FIRST FLYGHT!
Contemporary Romance Novels – I have two contemporary romance novels published. FACE TIME, is a modern, fun, and sexy story, and set many in amazing international cities. SUMMER HAIKUS is a friends-to-lovers romance that takes place in Japan.
Kami No Sekai Short Stories – These five short stories take place in Japan and feature a human protagonist and a god living in an inanimate object. The series is complete and starts with RICE COOKER REVENGE.
I’m sure as time goes on, there will be more books that I write and publish, but as of early 2021, this is what I’ve included.
A little more about me!
Recently, I was asked, “What’s a normal day for you really like?”
Normally, my days start with exercising. I’m pretty abnormal in this because so many authors get up and get in their words right away! I am so not a morning person. Getting exercise is a better idea for me in the morning. I exercise almost every day between my Peloton bike, walking, and yoga. Then I get some work admin stuff done, shower, and eat lunch. In the afternoon, I write and run errands. In the evening, I’ll take care of blog writing or maintenance, and then try to enjoy some downtime from 8PM until bed. It’s definitely not very glamorous, but it gets the job done!
“What’s your definition of success in your writing business?”
Success has been hard for me to define! And it has changed many times over the last seven years. At first, my definition relied on sales. Was I selling books? How many? And how much money was I making to offset my initial costs? But that’s an unreliable metric for success because many people would consider publishing the books AT ALL success. Does the number of reviews indicate success? Or how many books I’ve published? It’s hard to define! But over the years my idea of success has become publishing more books that I enjoyed writing. Each book I work on and enjoy, then move towards publication, is another success. The ultimate goal is to have a dedicated audience for my work. “Success” is more readers who have enjoyed my books, like I have enjoyed writing them. I hope that future people who find this time capsule will feel the same way.
Find S.J. Pajonas’s stories here.