After decades of book marketing and brand-building campaigns for authors all over the world, Books Forward catches up with some of our author family members to see where their literary journeys have taken them since our early days of working together.
Liz Lazarus worked with Books Forward in 2016 on her debut novel, Free of Malice. Though fiction, the attack on her book’s main character is real and drawn from Liz’s personal experience escaping a home invasion. One of the things our team admires most about Liz is her passion to weave truth and authentic experience into her fiction, all to help others relate and heal. We were proud to see her book not only reach its audience of thriller genre enthusiasts, but also Liz sharing her inspiring story and guidance to women’s self-defense groups.
Was there anything in particular you learned during our Books Forward campaign that you’ve carried into future releases? Or a favorite part of working together?
I enjoyed traveling to Tennessee and meeting the team at the beginning of our work together. There is just something extra special about making that connection up front. I appreciated the advice on my book cover and learning where to spend my energy and effort from experts in the industry.
What have you been up to since?
Since working with Books Forward, I have published two more novels and will be releasing my fourth in May of 2026. My books are known for their strong female protagonists, thorough research, page-turning pace and killer twist endings.
Free of Malice, my first novel, tells the story of a journalist who grapples with the legal system to acknowledge her right to self-defense. My second novel, Plea for Justice, depicts the journey of a paralegal striving to reveal the truth about her estranged friend’s incarceration, which leads her on a parallel path of self-discovery.
My third thriller, Shades of Silence, showcases the resilience of a woman faced with devastating loss, the unexpected friendship forged from tragedy and the recurring societal themes that confront every generation. It is my most successful book so far, Shades of Silence, with 2,200+ reviews at 4.4 stars. One of my favorite moments was reading the book to my mom during Covid.
My fourth novel, Dawn Before Darkness, will launch May 26, 2026, and tells the story of Dawn Smith, a vet tech living in rural South Carolina. She catches her boyfriend in a series of lies and immediately ends the relationship. Rather than accepting the break-up, he begins to stalk and harass her, forcing Dawn to seek a restraining order. Undeterred, he launches a deeply personal attack — suing for guardianship and conservatorship of Dawn’s infirm mother. In court, he manipulates the truth using evidence he planted to turn the legal system against her. And just when Dawn thinks things can’t get any worse, she is faced with an impossible choice: rekindle the relationship or lose her mother forever.
About Liz Lazarus
Liz Lazarus grew up in Georgia, where she was editor of her high school newspaper. She went on to a successful career as an executive at General Electric’s Healthcare division. Later, she joined a leading consulting firm as a Managing Director. But, as she explains, her first book “wouldn’t leave me alone — it kept nudging me to write to the point that I could no longer ignore it.” Reader response to her debut novel was so encouraging that she embarked on a full writing career. For more information and sample chapters, visit lizlazarus.com.
Stay up to date with our author family and more from Books Forward by checking out our Lit Happens blog!
Ellen Whitfield is senior publicist at Books Forward, an author publicity and book marketing firm committed to promoting voices from a diverse variety of communities. From book reviews and author events, to social media and digital marketing, we help authors find success and connect with readers.
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