As summer heats up, so does our reading list!! Here is a look from an author who knows how to make her readers hot! Welcome to Lynn Reynolds! Lynn, let’s start with the typical question: How did you begin to write?
I’ve been writing stories for as long as I can remember. I wrote an ongoing series in high school that parodied our teachers and some of the other students, which was a big underground hit. Fortunately, the only teacher who ever found out about it was the funky, artsy, ex-hippie history teacher, who thought it was pretty cool! That just encouraged me to keep going – LOL. In real life, I’ve worked as a journalist and a publicist, so I’ve done lots of non-fiction writing. I’ve also had a few poems and short stories published over the years, but THIRTY-NINE AGAIN is my first published novel.
I read on your website that you had a breast cancer scare. How did this change your way of thinking, and how does it affect your life/writing?
Yes, I did have a breast cancer scare a few years ago. I was fortunate, in that when I had my biopsy, the growth the removed was completely benign. There was no real scarring from the procedure either. Although they put some sort of titanium chip in there as a marker, so now my husband says I have a bionic boob 😉 But it was a somewhat scary situation and did make me think about making time to do some things I’d always meant to do – like writing a novel and getting it published! Also losing weight. You know, I think writing the novel was easier than losing 35 pounds!
Have you ever had your characters live out the ‘what if’ factor for you?
I don’t think most of my characters are living out the “what if” factor for me, but the novel I just finished is an exception. It’s a romance set on the island of Capri. I’ve always, always wanted to go there and never had the opportunity. I was going through some difficult times, so I decided I would pretend to go to Capri and set the story there. It’s much easier to do that sort of thing nowadays, with the help of the Internet. I could download photos of locations, read blogs about to urists’ favorite out-of-the way places on the island and even watch a couple of YouTube videos of some of the sights.
What is your favorite type of character? Do you put them in your books, or are they elsewhere?
I like characters that have a strong will, especially female characters who can stand up for themselves. Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2, now there’s my idea of a heroine! But they don’t all have to be quite that feisty. I also like characters that have a good sense of humor. I hope my own characters have those qualities!
Do you believe in soul mates? And if so, how do you explain widows/widowers remarrying?
I definitely believe in soulmates. I’m pretty sure my husband is my soulmate. But I think you could possibly find a second soulmate in life if you are really fortunate. I’m sure many widows or widowers feel that way about their second spouse!
You have quite a range of favorites on your website – do you have a top, or are they all equal?
My favorite anything changes from day to day! Whether it’s movies or books or foods. I definitely think variety is the spice of life!
I love that you are donating a portion of your royalties to breast cancer. What motivated you to do this?
I’m donating a portion of my royalties to breast cancer research for a couple of reasons. My own scare made me more aware of the issue, but I’ve also had friends and family members suffer from breast cancer. Since the heroine of THIRTY-NINE AGAIN is a breast cancer survivor, it seemed like an appropriate thing to do. That way, it’s a good story for a good cause!
Is there a specific genre you’ve never written, but would love to try? If so, can we expect something like that from you in the future?
I love historical novels, but so far, I’ve failed in every attempt to complete one myself. I get so lost in researching the time period that I forget to write. Or I write, but I just can’t seem to create that really vivid picture of some historic setting that some writers are able to create. But I haven’t given up on the possibility of writing one yet!
What would you like us to know about Lynn the person? What about Lynn the author?
Well, I hope that other writers who know me will say that I try to be encouraging and supportive to my fellow writers and that I’m fun to be around!
What is coming up next? Is there anything you would like to share with us?
To be honest – no specific plans for the future. I have two other finished novels but haven’t found a publisher for either of them yet. But to be honest, I’ve had a lot going on in my personal life this year – so I haven’t tried real hard to get either of them published yet. I’m hoping to focus more on that and on writing a new book in the fall.
Thank you, Lynn, for taking time to speak with us. For more information on Lynn or her books, check out her website.
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