J. M. Young is an author and storyteller deeply committed to exploring themes of resilience, forgiveness, redemption, and family values through emotionally rich narratives. He writes with the goal of inspiring both children and adults to find healing and strength through stories. In addition to his novels, he has written numerous Public Service Announcements for Hollywood actors and published two books in the field of mental health and emotional healing. He lives in Laguna Niguel, California with his wife, four children, and is a proud grandfather. His stories are rooted in personal experience and a dedication to uplifting others through literature.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I think most writers will tell you they rarely have just one project on their desk at a time, and I’m no different. Right now, my creative world is spread across several genres, and I actually love it that way. I’ve published two nonfiction books, Craving Recovery and Craving Identity, that dive into trauma, addiction, and the process of rebuilding a life. At the same time, I’m deep into my middle grade series, which started with Ava’s Summer Treasure. That’s a seven-book adventure series, so there’s always a puzzle or a piece of history I’m researching for Ava and her family.
But alongside that, I’m editing my very first psychological thriller with speculative fiction elements. It’s a story that bends reality, blurs perception, and pushes me into darker, more eerie territory than I’ve ever written before. And just recently, I stepped into an entirely different space, contemporary romance. That one came about because of my wife, Sasha. Over the years, I’ve written her little love stories, just personal gestures between us, and she always told me, “You need to write a romance novel.” I finally listened, and I actually just finished and edited my first one.
So yes, I usually have multiple works-in-progress. For me, shifting between genres keeps the writing alive. Each story uses a different part of my voice, but they all come back to the same themes: emotional truth, resilience, and relationships worth fighting for.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Yes, absolutely. At its heart, Ava’s Summer Treasure is about much more than riddles and hidden clues. I wanted middle grade readers to feel the excitement of an adventure story, of course, but underneath that, there’s a deeper message about the things that truly matter.
The first is family. Ava’s bond with her grandparents is the soul of the story. I wanted kids to see that the time we spend with the people who love us is just as valuable as any treasure we could dig up. Those connections shape us, ground us, and give us courage when life gets hard.
The second theme is family history. So often, young people don’t realize that the stories of those who came before them are woven into who they are. Ava begins to understand that her identity and her journey are connected to the generations before her. It’s a reminder that history isn’t just in books or museums, it’s in our families, in the stories that get passed down, and sometimes even in the secrets we uncover.
Forgiveness is another thread. Families aren’t perfect, and neither are people. Ava learns that healing doesn’t come from ignoring mistakes or pretending the past didn’t happen, it comes from facing those truths with compassion. I think that’s a powerful lesson for kids, to see that forgiveness doesn’t make you weak; it makes you free.
And finally, resiliency. Life will always throw challenges at us, whether it’s solving a tricky puzzle in a story or facing something painful in the real world. Ava’s determination shows readers that they, too, can get back up, try again, and move forward even when things feel uncertain.
If readers walk away with anything, I hope it’s that courage, curiosity, and love can carry them through just about anything, and that the greatest treasures in life are the people we hold close and the stories that connect us.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
Yes, I remember it very clearly, though my journey into writing isn’t the traditional one. When I was younger, I always had these vivid, exciting, and deeply emotional stories playing in my head. They were like little movies I could retreat into. But the truth is, I wasn’t creating those stories just for fun, I was creating them to survive. I grew up as a victim of childhood sexual abuse, and those imagined worlds became my escape hatch. They gave me a place to disappear when the reality of my life was too painful to bear.
Back then, I didn’t write them down. I was too busy just trying to make it through each day. I carried severe depression with me for decades, and living became less about dreaming and more about surviving moment to moment. Writing wasn’t even on my radar, I was too buried under the weight of trauma.
It wasn’t until much later in life, after I finally confronted the root causes of my struggles, that writing began to emerge as something more than just an idea. People who had walked through their own suffering encouraged me to share my story, to put my pain and healing into words so others could see that recovery is possible. That encouragement lit a fire in me.
The first time I sat down and actually started to write, it was like the floodgates opened. The words just poured out. For so many years, I had been carrying them silently in my head, and now they finally had somewhere to land. Writing became both a release and a purpose.
Today, I don’t live day-to-day anymore, I live with intention. My purpose is clear: to take the stories that once only existed in my head and get them onto the page. Some of those stories are born from pain and survival, others from joy, love, or imagination, but all of them share a common thread, they’re meant to connect, to heal, and to remind people they’re not alone.
Do you write an outline before every book you write?
Yes, I always create an outline before I begin writing a book, but the spark almost always comes before the structure. For me, it usually starts with a single word, a phrase, or even a dream. In fact, my romance novel was born from a dream. It wasn’t a full story, just a fleeting glimpse of two people and a moment of connection. I woke up in the middle of the night and, like I often do, immediately grabbed my phone to jot down notes. A few weeks later, I revisited those scribbles, and the scene expanded into something larger, eventually unfolding into the framework of a novel.
That’s where outlining comes in. Once the seed of the idea is there, I need to give it structure. An outline is like the scaffolding of a story, it allows me to see the shape of the narrative before I start layering in the details. It’s not about limiting creativity; it’s about giving it direction. Outlining helps me clarify character arcs, map out pacing, and ensure that every subplot ties back into the central theme. It allows me to anticipate turning points, build tension deliberately, and plant seeds for payoffs later in the story.
I also think outlining is essential when working across genres, as I do. In middle grade, for instance, pacing and clues have to be tightly controlled so young readers stay engaged and can follow the logic of the mystery. In a psychological thriller, outlining becomes even more critical, because you’re juggling red herrings, reveals, and twists…you need to know exactly where those beats land to keep the suspense taut. And in romance, outlining helps balance emotional development with external conflict so the relationship arc feels authentic and satisfying.
For me, the outline is a living document. It evolves as I write, but having that roadmap prevents me from wandering too far off course. It gives me confidence that no matter how creative the journey gets, I know where the story is headed and why. At the same time, it leaves room for surprises, which I love, those unexpected moments where the characters take over and something better than I planned comes through.
So yes, I’m a strong believer in outlines. They’re not just a tool for organization; they’re the blueprint that allows me to bring what started as a word, a dream, or a fleeting idea into a fully realized story.
What is your favorite theme/genre to write about?
That’s a great question. Growing up, I didn’t really get the chance to live life the way most kids do. Because of the trauma I experienced, I carried a weight that stole a lot of that innocence and freedom from me. Childhood for me was more about survival than play. So when I sit down to write Ava’s Summer Treasure and the series that’s coming after it (I’ve already written books two and three) I feel like I’m getting this second chance. Through Ava, I get to step back into that world of curiosity, wonder, and adventure. I ask myself, “How would I have felt at twelve years old, if I’d had this kind of summer?” And in some ways, I live vicariously through her. She’s bold and curious in ways I wish I could’ve been, and she allows me to revisit those years with a sense of joy instead of pain. Writing middle grade is healing because it’s like rewriting a part of my own story through Ava’s eyes.
At the same time, if I had to choose, my favorite genre is romance. I just love watching characters fall in love, stumble through the challenges that come with it, and come out stronger on the other side. To me, romance isn’t about perfection; it’s about the honesty of two people choosing each other despite the messiness. Sometimes the story ends happily ever after, and sometimes it doesn’t, but that dream, that hope, is what we all carry with us.
My wife, Sasha, has taught me a lot about love. She’s reminded me that it isn’t about rewriting someone into the version we think they should be. It’s about embracing the original version of them, flaws and all. That’s where the magic is, not in perfection, but in authenticity. It’s easy to love the polished rewrite, but it’s far more meaningful to love the draft, the real, imperfect version of someone who’s still growing. That idea has seeped into my writing too. Whether I’m telling a love story, a middle grade adventure, or even a thriller, I’m always drawn back to the relationships at the core, to the raw humanity of people learning to see and love each other fully.
So in a way, the middle grade adventures let me rewrite my childhood, and the romances let me celebrate what I’ve learned about love as an adult. Both genres feel deeply personal, and both remind me of the resilience of the human spirit, whether it’s a kid searching for treasure or two people searching for each other.
Do you ever take random writing breaks to dance?
No, I don’t usually stop writing to dance, but music is absolutely part of my process. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever written without it. It’s almost like a ritual for me, the music goes on, and the words begin to flow.
One of my favorite writers is Michael Connelly, and I especially love his Bosch series. In both the books and the TV show, Bosch is always listening to jazz. I remember Connelly once explained why: he said Bosch listens to jazz because it’s imperfect, raw, and a little mournful, just like life. It’s music that comes from struggle, from loneliness, from the human need to turn pain into something beautiful.
I was never really a jazz guy before, but because of Bosch, and Connelly’s explanation, I gave it a try. And honestly, I couldn’t agree more with him. Jazz spoke to me in ways I didn’t expect. For so many years, even while I was in a relationship, I felt alone because I kept my past and my trauma hidden. Jazz captures that feeling, the sense of isolation, the ache of something unresolved, but it also carries resilience in every note. It reminds me of where I was and where I am now.
Today, when I write, I use music, whether it’s jazz or something else, as a way to ground myself. It helps me relax, it quiets the noise in my head, and it opens up that creative space where the words can pour out. Music has this incredible healing quality. It doesn’t just soothe you; it connects you to memory, to feeling, to the full spectrum of human experience. And that’s exactly what writing is for me too.
So no, I don’t dance in between chapters, but I do let music carry me through them. It keeps me honest, reminds me of my journey, and sets the rhythm for every sentence I put on the page.
Give a shout-out to a fellow author.
I’d love to give a shout-out to Alex Aster. When I was writing my romance novel, Between the Covers (not yet published), her book Summer in the City was one I picked up, and I was immediately taken with her style. There’s an effortless warmth in the way she writes, her dialogue feels alive, her pacing is sharp, and her characters breathe right off the page. It struck me how she could balance fun, flirty energy with emotional depth, and that’s exactly what I wanted to capture in my own work.
Reading Summer in the City prompted me to dive into her other books. I picked up Lightlark and Nightbane, not just because they’re bestsellers but because I was curious to see how she handled fantasy after falling in love with her contemporary voice. What amazed me was her versatility, she can build lush, imaginative worlds in one series and then turn around and write something modern and relatable that makes you feel like you’re texting with a best friend. That kind of range is rare, and it taught me as a writer that you don’t have to be confined to one lane, you can stretch, explore, and surprise your readers.
And then there’s the way she builds her characters. Oro and Grim, for example, are not just love interests in Lightlark, they’re layered, complicated, and unforgettable. Oro carries this sense of strength and stability, while Grim embodies mystery, temptation, and danger. What I admire is how Alex doesn’t just write them as archetypes; she gives them vulnerabilities, secrets, and choices that constantly shift how we see them. By the time you finish, you feel like you know them intimately, every flaw, every longing, every contradiction. That’s the kind of character work that lingers long after the last page, and it reminded me that in any genre, romance, fantasy, or thriller, characters must always come first.
What inspired me most about Alex is how fearless she is in her storytelling. She takes risks with genre, with tone, with expectations. It pushed me to stop second-guessing myself and instead lean into the kind of stories that excite me, even if they’re unexpected, like jumping from my middle grade adventure in Ava’s Summer Treasure to a speculative thriller to romance. Watching her navigate that space with such confidence gave me permission to trust my own instincts.
And beyond her writing, what I admire deeply is how she connects with her readers. I’ve follow her social media and I’ve seen how humble and genuine she is when she interacts with fans. She listens, she shares openly, and she celebrates her community in a way that makes people feel seen. That kind of authenticity leaves a mark, it shows that success hasn’t changed her heart, and I believe that’s why she’s going to stand the test of time.
I look forward to everything she has coming in the future. If her past work is any indication, she’ll keep pushing boundaries, inspiring writers like me, and giving readers stories they’ll hold onto for years.
Connect with J. M. Young online at
Website https://jmyoungbooks.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuamyoung1
X: https://x.com/joshuamyoung1
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@J.M.Young1
Ava’s Summer Treasure is available for purchase from major retailers including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
https://www.amazon.com/Avas-Summer-Treasure-J-M-Young-ebook/dp/B0FMKS5356/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/avas-summer-treasure-jm-young/1147587725?ean=2940184528656