Romance at Heart Magazine Author Interview: Lynn Crain

Interview with Lynn Crain:

Hi Lynn. Thank you for aggreeing and doing this interview. I would like to welcome you to the Romance at Heart Interview and Author Grilling session. *bg* We are interested to find out as much about you as we possibly can, so lets get started...

- Please tell us about your latest book.

My latest book is The Thing About Elves and is the second in my Santa’s Elves series. The Santa’s Elves series is about the six siblings of the Locklin family. Book 1 was The View From Santa’s Sleigh and about Tessa and Jedrick’s love story which begins when Santa presents Tessa to Jedrick as a gift. Book 2, The Thing About Elves, is the love story of Tessa’s best friend Angie and how she gets Jedrick’s brother, Ardan, to fall in love with her. Ardan has sworn off human women. Needless to say, that doesn’t last for long. But they do go through their share of trials before realizing they can’t live without each other.

- What can we expect from you in the future?

I have quite a few books in the works. Right now I’m working on a special project for my publisher, just a short story actually. The first thing that people will see from me in 2007 is an erotic sci-fi romance called, Crusin On The DIM Line. It’s something I’ve been working on for years and set it aside. Then the Matrix came out and I could have kicked myself because some of my things were very similar. Still, I have a unique view on VR and how it can be manipulated to whatever the person wants whether they are good or evil.

- How do we find out about you and your books?

My website is www.lynncrain.com and my publisher’s website is www.extasybooks.com.

- How may readers contact you?

Readers can contact me through email at lynncrain@cox.net. I also have a newsletter group on Yahoo called XtraOrdinary Romance. They can just email me for an invite.

- How many readers/fans contact you?

Quite a few actually. This year at Christmas, I had a contest on my group, one at my publishers and three more on various different other groups. I gave out about 20 Christmas stockings. I really value readers and try to make it as wonderful for them as possible to be involved in something I do. Every reader who has contacted me has been great! And I try to return the favor.

- Do your fans' comments and letters influence you in any way?

This is a hard question. Yes and no. I mean if readers really hated something I was doing, I’d really want to know but sometimes authors can’t change it as they are locked by publisher’s constraints. Still, I would definitely take whatever fans tell me into consideration.

- Do you have a favorite comment or question from a reader?

I’ve had this question, or variations of it, asked many times. Basically something on the order of, ‘You’ve done everything your characters have, right?’ and I’m always amazed by that one. I write sci-fi romance, fantasy romance and various genres of erotic romance, so I can write some really bizarre things. Sure, I’d love to travel space, live in a castle and be taken away to live a fantasy life by a wonderful lover. But many of these things I write about are fiction and will remain so in my life time.

- Why did you decide to write romance novels?

Because I loved to read them. I’ve been reading romance novels since I was 11 years old. Matter of fact, I burned my first one, The Flame and the Flower, because I didn’t want my mother to find it.

- How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?

Every author has something of their self in their writing and I’m no different. A lot of times, I do try to put myself in my heroine’s shoes and look at things from her perspective. I do write a lot of first person also which definitely puts me in her shoes.

- When did you first think about writing and what prompted you to submit your first ms?

Again, I started at 11. I wanted to be the next Margaret Mitchell because I loved Gone With The Wind so much. I started writing a Civil War saga that would right all the wrongs of that book. I seriously started submitting in my mid-twenties and have been at it ever since. I had almost given up hope when I met my current publisher online and she asked me to submit something that had been rejected by another publisher. That book, Captive Illusions, has been and still is received very well. The second book in that series will be coming out this year.

- Generally, how long does it take you to write a book?

It depends. There are some books that I can whip out in a matter of weeks whereas others it takes me years. On average, if the book isn’t an epic fantasy or sci-fi book, I can usually produce a book every six weeks. Part of my problem is that once I know the ending, I have to push myself to finish it. So I really love it when my characters take over and won’t take no for an answer.

- Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

Actually, I do. I start my morning by writing. I get up around 7 and write for at least a half an hour and then I exercise. Once that is done, I sit back down at the computer and answer email and do all the other things an author needs to do. Then I get back to writing. I stop for dinner because my husband is an amazing cook and cooks for me every night. I then see if my 14 yo needs any help with homework and then usually it’s back to writing. I average about 6-8 hours a day. I’m also a reflexologist and sometimes have clients during the day then everything gets moved around. But I manage to find time to write some every day.

- What is your writing routine once you start a book?

It’s really nothing special. I just make sure that I plant my butt in the chair and get to it. The one thing I do though is that I always have more than one book going so I won’t get bored.

- What about your family, do they know not to bother you when you are writing - or are there constant interruptions?

Most of the time, they know to leave me alone when I’m writing. But as my office doesn’t have any doors that can close, there are times when I have a lot of interruptions.

- What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

Read or get a massage or a facial. Anything where I don’t have to think about life. The funny thing is though that as I’m laying there getting a massage or reading or getting a facial, I’m plotting what’s going to happen next.

- What truly motivates you in general? In your writing?

I have to motivate myself as no one in my family understands me and writing. My youngest likes to do comic books so he at least has an inkling about the creative process but by and large, I’m on my own. There have been times where I’ve been on deadline that I’ve asked everyone to make sure I get my butt in the chair because I can be the biggest procrastinator when I don’t want a story to end.

- Where do your ideas come from?

Life, movies, people, reading…you name it and I can get an idea from it. One of my first published articles was titled, ‘Playing the What If Game’ and I had a blast with it. I am always playing what-if.

- Do you feel humour is important in women's fiction and why?

I think like everything else in women’s fiction, it has it’s place. I’m reading the series books from Harlequin NEXT and some of them are laced with humour and it’s definitely appropriate to the book. There have been some where humour isn’t as important but they have a different tone.

- What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels, do you find them difficult to write?

Again, it depends for me. Most of the time no but sometimes it takes me a while to write the love scenes in my erotic romances. And it’s not because the verbage bothers me or something else but more because I want to make it ring true. There’s no sense writing a love scene of any kind if no one can relate to it.

- What kind of research do you do?

For a lot of my books, I don’t need research as the setting is something contemporary and something that I’m usually familiar with. When I do need to do research, I scan the Internet and save everything I can on a subject. I’ll read it once when I get it and then put it in a file just in case I need to refer to it later.

- Would you like to write a different genre than you do now, or sub-genre?

Not really as I pretty much write what I want. I know a lot of authors hone in on one genre and that’s it for them. For me, I have to be compelled by the story not the genre.

- What does your husband/wife think of your writing?

Most of the time he’s pretty cool with it. He knows that I always wanted to be a published author and encouraged me whenever he could.

- Do you ever ask him for advice?

Always. How can you not ask your best friend for advice?

- Please tell us about yourself (family, hobbies, education, etc.)

I’m married, late forties, two boys – one 30 and just married, the other 14 yo and a typical teenager. My kids are as different as night and day. I had to drop out of writing for a while because my oldest broke his neck in July of 2005 so everything went on hiatus. Happily, he had no permanent damage and was married in April. Now his wife can worry about him. LOL! I love to read and hike and ski. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Geology and am getting an MS and Ph.D. in Natural Medicine.

- Fill in the blank favorites -

Dessert - Key Lime Pie
City - Stirling, Scotland
Season - Winter
Type of hero - Alpha/Beta combo
Type of heroine - Strong yet feminine

- What are some of your favorite things to do?

My favorite thing, believe it or not, is to write. Next to that, I love spending time with my family and traveling.

- Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?

Not really any more. I just love to read. I can’t tell you if I have a favorite book because I love so many. The one I just re-read recently was Stephen King’s The Stand. That may sound strange coming from a romance writer but it’s the ultimate story of good versus evil. I love reading Nora Roberts, Janet Dailey, Stevie Mittman, Brenna Lyons, Barbara Karmazin, Morgan Hawke and a ton of others. I read a lot of e-books too as I’m at my computer so much.

- Who are some of your other favorite authors to read?

LOL! Here’s some more…Debbie Macomber, Linda Howard, Sharon Sala, Laurie Paige and tons of others.

- Who, if anyone, has influenced your writing?

Christopher Vogler who wrote The Writer’s Journey and Joseph Campbell. I was lucky enough to hear him speak at a conference once. It put everything in perspective for me about character arcs and why I needed to do certain things in my books.

- Are you a member of any author groups - RWA, critique groups, etc.?

I was a long time member of RWA until the late ‘90s when I had to again put writing on the back burner for family. My mother had Altzheimer’s and my father needed my support. I wrote still but wasn’t as active and let things lapse. I’m starting to get back into RWA slowly but can’t let it consume me like before. I was on the national board and worked harder for them than any job that paid me. I currently belong to EPIC and my critique groups come and go.

- What do you think of critique groups in general?

I think that they are a great resource and one can learn a lot about writing through them. BUT your writing partners have to be honest and therefore harsh many times. I’ve been in critique groups where everything was always wonderful and that just isn’t good to grow as a writer.

- Where do you see yourself in five years?

Still writing and probably traveling more by then. Like every author I’d like to be on bestseller lists. I think that would be wonderful.

- How long have you been writing - have you always wanted to be a writer?

For about 40 years and yes, from the moment I could speak I wanted to be a writer.

- How many books have you written, how many have been published?

Dozens and most of those are hidden away because they are that bad. LOL! I’ve had five published.

- After you've written your book and it's been published, do you ever buy it and/or read it?

I always purchase my copies for promo as it helps me and the publisher. And I always refer back to them especially if they are part of a series. Continuity is really important in series books.

- Among your own books, have you a favorite book? Favorite hero or heroine?

No…I like them all equally…if there was any it would have to be my shapeshifters or my sword-wielding women.

- What book for you has been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?

My Santa’s Elves series have actually been the easiest to write. The hardest is my fantasy epic that my agent is shopping around called HeartSword…it’s huge and I’m still writing the last of it. The most fun was probably my short called Shopping Spree.

- Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?

You forgot title. Sometimes the title comes first for me. Sometimes it’s the story and sometimes it’s the characters. I have even done one where I had the setting long before I even had a title.

- What are the elements of a great romance for you?

Loyalty, undying devotion for doing the right thing. A great hero and a wonderful heroine and a story that needs told. Every romance is different and every one is great in it’s own way.

- What is the hardest part of writing/the easiest for you?

Keeping focused. I get bored easily. The easiest is coming up with ideas.

- Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

Most of the time, they control me.

- Have you experienced writer's block---> If so, how did you work through it?

This is one thing that I can honest say has never happened to me. Don’t get me wrong, there have been some really long periods where I didn’t have time to write but the need was always there.

- What is the most rewarding thing about being a writer?

That I get to tell a wonderful story about two people I believe in.

- If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

I think that I would have been a doctor. At least, that’s what I think in retrospect. But my mind was always wrapped up in a book or writing a book. It left little time to focus on anything else.

- Are there any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

Actually, these words come partly from the movie Galaxy Quest and the rest from me…never give up, never surrender…always be true to your vision. And never stop learning the craft. You will always continue to get better if you just put the effort into it.

- What question would you love to answer that I didn't ask?

No…you pretty well covered everything…and that’s great!
Thanks for allowing me to participate!

You are welcome Lynn. Thank you very much for taking the time with us and answering our questions. I really appreciate this interruption to your busy schedule. Good Luck, and we will be looking forward to the next delightful creation from your talented imagination!

Yours in good reading,
Rose!

Lynn Crain eXtasy Books Interview Review
Buy The Thing About Elves At eXtasy
Lynn's YouTube Video