Author Interview: Lynley Wayne & A Life Interrupted
Please help me welcome author Lynley Wayne today to the Love Shack. (I like to call her the “Other Lynley.”) I first met Lynley in New Orleans at GRL in 2011. Her first novel had just been contracted and her excitement was infectious. I also loved listening to her southern accent. I’m so pleased that she’s still writing and still sharing her wonderful stories with readers.
Lynley’s latest release is A Life Interrupted, which came out from MLR Press on November 22. Keep reading for more information about the book, and how you can win an e-book copy for yourself.
Lynley’s Bio
Lynley Wayne is the pen name of a thirty-something female living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. When not writing, she can usually be found reading and thinking up creative ways to avoid housework. She is married to a very understanding husband who doesn’t complain when she spends hours in front of the computer and he ends up having to fix supper on occasion. Or when she asks random off the wall questions. Or when she talks for hours about whatever story she’s working on. Yeah, basically he’s vying for sainthood.
It is her hope that one day society will be able to look past the labels and see the person behind it. That they will realize we are all the same. Until that time comes, she will continue telling stories of a love others may believe is wrong, but she thinks is nothing short of beautiful.
The Interview
What is the last book you read? Did you like it, why/why not? I just recently finished reading Debora Geary’s, A Modern Witch Series. It a seven-book series, with a couple of spin-off series. I haven’t gotten to those yet, but I will… eventually. I enjoyed them very much. They were a mix of sweet and funny with a great cast of diverse characters. The underlying message throughout the series was about acceptance. While it deals with a group of witches, it’s less about the magic and more about the family, the community and the love that they share. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a series to fall in love with.
What is the most challenging aspect of writing? For me, that would be finishing a book. I have no problem starting one, but I seem to have difficulty finishing one. I currently have around fifteen manuscripts sitting in my WIPs file, that are between 30k and 65k words. Each and every one of them is sitting there, unfinished, because I’m stuck and I can’t seem to figure out where I went off the tracks. Every few months I pull them out, hoping for some clarity.
What is the most difficult aspect of publishing? Besides the waiting? I’d say the marketing. Before I got published I wasn’t one to be online. I had a Facebook account that I’d posted on twice in the three years I’d had it. So doing the social media stuff is something that I’m still learning and I admit there are days when I have to force myself to get online. I’m getting better about it, but I don’t think I’ll ever be one of those people who likes surfing the net for hours. I’d much rather be writing.
Have you ever had a day when you wanted to give up writing? Yes. I foolishly decided to check out Goodreads a day or two after, Scars was released. One of the first reviews was a DNF (did not finish). I was devastated. This was a book that I had worked on for years and while it may not be my best work and there may be issues with it, things I’d probably change now, to have someone dislike it so much that they didn’t even finish it… well, that shook my confidence. After Scars came out, I didn’t write for about three months. I would sit down at the computer and all I could see was that DNF and I really thought about giving up. The four and five star reviews that I got later, sadly, were overshadowed by that one bad one. Eventually I remembered that I write because it’s something I enjoy. It’s something that fulfills me and I wasn’t going to let one person’s opinion change that. The fan emails I got really helped as well.
What is the most surprising book/scene you’ve written? (Surprise in that it ended up very differently from expected, or that it touched on a topic/event you had never imagined you would write about)
Are the names of the characters in your books important and how you do choose names? For my main characters I don’t. Not really. When I get an idea for a character he usually comes already named. It’s sort of like they pop into my head and introduce themselves. Occasionally, I might hear a cool name and write it down for later. For the secondary characters I use different things; my old yearbooks, a baby naming app on my phone, and The Writer’s Digest Character Naming Sourcebook by Sherrilyn Kenyon.
Which is your least favorite thing: choosing a title, writing a blurb, or reading reviews? Why? With each book it’s different. With Scars I had no trouble writing the blurb, but I hated having to write the synopsis. With Rocky’s Road I had a heck of a time writing the blurb and after I learned that there was an ice cream with a similar name, I debated changing the title but couldn’t come up with anything else that fit. I don’t usually read reviews. I appreciate those who take the time to not only read my books but to write a review and if someone sends me one then I will read it, but I try to stay away from them for the most part. Reviews tend make me a tad bit neurotic, which isn’t good for anyone. Trust me.
Do you use personal experiences in your books? I’d have to say, Yes and No. Every writer puts a bit of themselves into their books. Some books, some characters more than others. In Scars, Jace suffers from PTSD, which manifests itself mainly in the form of panic attacks. While I don’t suffer from anxiety disorder, I have people close to me who do and I’ve seen them have an attack and I used that in my book.
Anyone who knew me as a child and has read my YA short story, Family, can tell that Emily is very much me when I was younger. The scene at the wedding where she embarrasses her dad was definitely something I would’ve done, and probably did do, in my younger days.
I think our experiences in life shape our characters whether intentionally or not.
What is the craziest thing you have researched for your writing? Well, so far I’d have to say BDSM. I wasn’t expecting to write a book with BDSM elements, so it was unexpected and there were something things that I learned while researching that might be categorized as crazy by some.
Describe a typical writing day for you. Hubby works nights, so I try to get up about the time he gets home so I can spend some time with him before he goes to bed for the day. We eat together and then he goes to bed and make a cup of chai tea and head to my office. I usually start by checking and responding to email, then I check out Facebook and Twitter, which can take anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour or more. Then I disconnect from the internet, light a candle and get busy writing. I write until it’s time to wake hubby up for work and then I fix supper and spend some time with him, which is usually spent watching some of the recorded shows from the night before. Then after he leaves, I either go back to writing or I chill on the couch and read until it’s time for bed.
The New Release
A Life Interrupted
Dan and Travis met in college, the unlikeliest of pairs, and then became friends and lovers. For the past twenty-two years Dan’s lived his own version of happily-ever-after, with Travis by his side. Then tragedy strikes and life as they know it ceases to exist. Will they be strong enough to find their way back from a life interrupted?
While Travis fights for his life, Dan can’ t help but relive all those little moments that made up their life. All those things that he took for granted at the time. Those very same events may end up being all he has left of the man who is his entire world.
The Contest
What question would you like to ask Lynley Wayne that I didn’t? Leave a comment with your question and we’ll choose a winner on Friday, Nov 29. Plenty of time to think of a good one while you’re recovering from Thanksgiving dinner!
Please thank Lynley for stopping by with a comment about anything. Thank you!
5 Responses to “Author Interview: Lynley Wayne & A Life Interrupted”
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Thanks for the interview and giveaway!
My questions are: How do you get ideas for your books? What makes you decide to seriously pursue one idea over others?
I get ideas from everywhere. Television(although I don’t watch much), books, magazines, overheard conversations, articles I’ve read, titles of other books, photographs, etc. I could go on all day. The honest answer is… I have no idea where it comes from really. As far as which one I pursue, well now, that depends on what character is speaking the loudest at the moment. I tend to bounce around from one book to the next and back again.
Congrats on your new book! And thanks for the interview. I think many authors have the same issue with reviews, no matter how many good ones you get the first bad one is what you remember. :/ I know a few authors that deleted their accounts!
What are you working on now?
Thanks, Juliana. What I’m working on at the moment is a tricky question. I’m always juggling more than one WIP. Some days I may work on one book and others I may end up adding a little to three or four. I have around 200 WIPs. In the last few weeks I’ve worked on the follow up to, A Life Interrupted, currently titled, A New Beginning. I’ve also worked on the follow up to Rocky’s Road; a new book titled, Blind Faith; my untitled attempt at romantic comedy; a heartbreaking story titled, Damaged; as well as three different non-romance fantasy books I’m writing. I update my website whenever I have any news, so if you are interested in what I’m working on, you should be able to find it there. If you can’t find what you are looking for, then feel free to email me. I love hearing from readers.
If both of you could please email at lynleywayne@gmail.com and let me know what format you would prefer.
Since it is the holidays, I’ve decided to get into the spirit of giving. Therefore, you have both won an ebook copy of, A Life Interrupted. 🙂 Happy Holidays!