But Lyn is also a very talented writer, whose books often remind me, humour-wise, of Jane Austen's. She has that clever, ironic and sometimes black British humour I adore so much. However, she has agreed to do an interview for my blog, along with a giveaway of her latest novel, "Killing Jenna Crane"! To win one of three e-book copies, please leave a comment who, in your opinion, incorporates the infamous English humour at its best (Monty Python, maybe?).
Welcome
to my blog (again), Lynette! A lot has happened since you've last been here -
you went from Indie to published, while you still release self-published books.
Knowing both worlds now, which way do you prefer (and why)?
Thank you, Deborah. It's wonderful to be here again - I've always
had a special soft spot for your lovely blog.
It's true I've now
dabbled in both worlds and while it's good to have the affirmation from a
publisher that your story is worth reading, I prefer self-publishing
hands-down. I like being in control and
able to see trends when trying new avenues for promotion etc. I also like the fact that I can make changes
to my stories to try to improve them whenever I have ideas or receive useful
suggestions from readers that I think will work - readers should never underestimate the value of their
opinions.
On the downside, it
is hard work and can be a lonely business, but then I think being a writer is quite
a lonely lifestyle anyway. Sadly a lot
of readers are suspicious of self-published authors and many are
(understandably) wary of giving us a chance.
You've
recently published a science fiction story, "Surveillance". How on
earth did you move from romances to sci-fi?
I used to enjoy
reading science fiction and one day my son and I were discussing how certain
aspects of the genre always seemed to be portrayed in one particular way. It's difficult to explain this in detail
without giving our story away, but we simply thought it might be interesting to
explore a different side of this sci-fi sub-genre - and one I think everyone
ought to find fascinating.
Your
son, Alexander, co-authored "Surveillance" with you. Isn't it
difficult for mother and son to write a story together?
Not at all. In fact it couldn't have been easier and it
was great fun working together and bouncing ideas back and forth. I'd love to write more short stories with
him.
Please
tell us a bit about your other new book, "Killing Jenna Crane".
I'm very excited
about this because it's another genre-shift for me in that it contains far more
than simple romance. It's quite a dark,
speculative fiction about a very successful but not very likeable author who
becomes torn between two women and starts to lose his grip on reality. Here is the blurb:
This is not a story
about a murder, but a dark journey inside a writer's mind. Commitment-shy Ellis Crawford, creator of the
famous and highly successful Jenna Crane mystery series, finds his comfortable
life swept away when he meets Emily, his perfect woman.
Despite his deepening
love for Emily, Ellis finds himself haunted by painful memories of a previous
love whose heart he broke, and begins to regret his past behaviour. On top of that, Emily wants him to kill off
his beloved heroine Jenna Crane - against fierce public opinion.
But life is too short
for regrets and when his own rapidly spirals out of control, taking his
reputation as an author with it, where will Ellis turn for help?
Any
upcoming projects?
I'm almost ready to
release a story that's been many years in the making. It's called 'Unworkers' and is a good old-fashioned
ghost story, though very much a story for women of today.
What
are you privately reading at the moment? Which TV show(s) do you watch?
I have a huge list of
unread books on my Kindle that I'm gradually working through. These are mainly from indie writers of a
variety of genres. I love discovering
talented new authors and doing whatever I can to help promote fellow indies.
TV programmes: I'm thoroughly enjoying 'Mr Selfridge' - very
good TV drama which filled the gaping hole left when 'Downton' Abbey
finished. I'm sure a great part of its
success is thanks to the lovely and talented Katherine Kelly. I actually went into Selfridges this week for
the first time in many years and found it changed practically beyond
recognition.
Which
future release are you looking forward to?
Well this may end up
sounding like a nag, but like all your fans and friends, I'm very much looking
forward to the second instalment of your Bound trilogy. It's long overdue…hint, hint.
Traditionally,
my "favorite bloggers of the month" share a personal recipe with my
readers. How about you?
Of course - though I
can claim absolutely no credit for this recipe myself. I love experimenting with low-carb recipes
and am always excited when I find new non-sinful dessert ideas such as this one
from my friend Jacqueline Hopper. It's a
Low Carb, Sugar Free Chocolate Pecan Torte and you can find the full recipe
here:
http://jacquelinedhopper.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=chocolate+pecan+torte
I have made it and it's quick, easy and tastes every bit as good as it looks.
http://jacquelinedhopper.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=chocolate+pecan+torte
I have made it and it's quick, easy and tastes every bit as good as it looks.
