Mia & LKJ (mia@lkjbooks.com)

LKJ (a.k.a. Mia Darien) is the freelancer side of author K. B. Thorne/Sadie Johnston. In this version of herself, she seeks to help her fellow authors with their books. Words are her passion, and they have been for a long time. She had spent so long as a reader and writer that it seemed only natural she would move into this type of work.

Her first editing project was in Summer of 2012, and it’s been up from there. Eventually, she expanded into formatting, cover art, and promotional materials. As she has learned more programs, she has used these to the continued benefit of her author clients. Over the years, she has worked on hundreds of books for dozens of clients.

She lives in rural Connecticut with her family and small menagerie. She words and words a lot–it’s both of her two professions as well as her hobbies. Sometimes, she’s surprised that she doesn’t look around and see everything built out of words…

Testimonials

  • "I was recommended to Mia by a friend and I'm so glad he did! Mia edits with meticulous care and precision, finding mistakes and errors that most eyes would miss. Not only that, she's affordable, focused, and fast. My project was on a strict deadline and Mia came through for me without sacrificing the quality of her work (or mine). I'm beyond pleased and have already brought her on board for future projects. Need an editor? Well, look no further than Mia Darien."

    Diantha Jones, author of the Oracle of Delphi Series
  • Mia definitely knows how to strengthen one's story with her editing. You'll be more than satisfied and confident with the look of your story once she's had a look at it. This is great quality editing!

    Raphyel Jordan, author of Prossia
  • When I began looking for an editor, I was both nervous and exhausted. I was more than concerned with what an editor might think of my work. Mia made me feel at ease from the very first email. She is exactly what I was looking for. An editor that has been in my shoes and can appreciate a story for what it is. Thanks to Mia, my book is more than I possibly ever imagined and error free. Her turnaround is amazingly fast and with her friendly attitude, I have grown to call her a friend. I honestly can't thank her enough her brilliantly wonderful work, not just with editing but for the friendly advice along the way. I have already sent my next book to her for her mad and amazing editing skills.

    Crystal Smith, author of Swept Away
  • Mia did an excellent job editing my nonfiction book. She cleaned up my grammar and caught even the smallest mistakes that I'd never have noticed no matter how many times I tried to self-edit. I accepted each of her revision without hesitation and am grateful to have found her. She has great rates for new authors who have yet to make money and is worth much more than she charges. In other words, she offers no excuse not to have your book edited before placing it out to the world. I highly recommend Mia. I already plan on sending more her way.

    ‘Trick Slattery, author of Breaking the Free Will Illusion for the Betterment of Humankind

Testimonials

  • I can not sing enough praises about the work of Mia Darien. In addition to her professionalism and sweet demeanor, she provides substantial quality that is on par with editors employed by the Big Six, all while offering the best prices in the business. I am proud to call her a vital part of my team.

    Angela B. Chrysler, author of Tales of the Drui: Dolor and Shadow
  • Path To Publishing is all about literary excellence, so when it comes to interior and exterior book design for our clients’ projects, we wouldn’t think of utilizing the services of any company other than LKJ Books.

    Joylynn M. Ross, CEO & Founder of Path To Publishing
  • LKJ Books did an incredible job formatting my project, both for ebook and paperback. The finished manuscripts are clean, easy to read, and filled with surprising little design touches that synergize with the text in a delightful way. LKJ Books is fast, meticulous, and great to work with. I look forward to working with them again!

    Eric Jason Martin, Author of "New Arcadia: Stage One

Testimonials

  • I decided that it was time to relaunch my entire back catalogue by getting new, professional covers designed for the whole lot. So, I did a ton of research, digging through blogs, checking out Amazon and communicating with other authors who write in the same genre as I do – and then I chose Mia to revamp my books ... ALL of them in one fell swoop, almost twenty new covers.

    I am pleased to say, Mia got them all bang-on! She is insightful, knowledgeable and, dare I say, borderline obsessive. Mia will not simply accept "Good Enough", she will persist until the job is done to both her, and the client's satisfaction. My sales increased as much as 120% in some cases and this was solely due to Mia's brilliant artwork.

    We continue to work together as my next series becomes due and I must say – I am happy to give her my highest recommendation.

    Craig Zerf, Author of the Project Bloodborn Series, The Forever Man Series, the Emily Shadowhunter Series and the HEX Series
  • Mia Darien created the cover for my recently released book, Through a Dusty Window: New York City Stories 1910 – 2001. Throughout our interaction, she was extremely responsive — often returning graphics much earlier than expected, and always replying quickly to email requests. The final result, which incorporated several changes, was the visual representation of what I'd had in my head. She is quick and easy to work with. Highly recommended!

    Delancey Stewart, author of Through a Dusty Window
  • Mia Darien was able to take my ideas to bring scenes from my stories to life as book covers and improve upon them in ways I could never have accomplished on my own. The final results are professional, eye catching, and really bring the books together as a series, and not just stories written by the same author. I would highly recommend her services.

    Diana L. Wicker, author of the Tales from Feyron Series