Dana R. Lynn Interview

Q: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself.

A: I live in rural PA with my husband, three kids, and too many animals to list. I work as an educational interpreter for the deaf and hard of hearing. Deaf culture is a passion of mine. So is my faith. I’m an

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

A:  When I was in elementary school. I read The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton and was impressed that she had written it as a teenager. I thought, I wonder if I could write a book? I actually started several times. I had a binder filled with first pages that never became more.

Q: Could you give us the highlights of your professional writing career including how you got your first writing break?

A: Sure. Life got pretty busy after I got married and had my kids. I set the dream of becoming a writer aside, although I never let it go. In 2012, I was perusing the Harlequin website and I came across the So You Think You Can Write contest. My kids were all in school by that time, and I decided that I would enter the next year. And I did. It was the first time I ever completed a manuscript. It was a contemporary romance targeting Love Inspired romance. I was amazed when my story made the Top 50 and later received a request to revise and resubmit. I revised it, but am hoping to submit it at a later date. Why not submit it now? Because the Love Inspired Suspense editors held a new contest. The Search for a Killer Voice pitch contest. Even though I had never tried to write suspense before, I entered. On July 2, I got the call from my awesome editor. It was a truly life changing experience.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release Presumed Guilty?

A: In Presumed Guilty, Melanie has just been released from prison. She has served four years for a crime she didn’t commit. She wants to get on her life, but is immediately targeted. Someone wants her dead. Lieutenant Jace Tucker is the only one she can trust. He, too, thinks she’s guilty, until the attacks start.

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for Presumed Guilty?

A: I had seen on social media that the editors were seeking more romantic suspense. I had been reading the Love Inspired Suspense books for several years, so I thought I would give it a try. The first image that came to mind was Melanie’s trial. It’s a scene that never made it into the book, but it helped form the idea. When the contest came, I decided to trust God and submit. And I found that I loved writing suspense.

Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?

A: Both Melanie and Jace have baggage. they both had to learn to forgive and move on. Forgive others, and themselves for past mistakes.

Q: What is your favorite scene/chapter from the book?

A: This is a really hard question for me. I love several scenes. But I loved chapter seventeen. The stakes are really high. Literally life and death. It was very satisfying to write the end of it.

Q: What inspires you to write?

A: Lots of things. I might hear snippets of conversation. Sometimes I pass someone and they might spark the idea of a character. Sometimes I read a headline from the newspaper that catches my attention. Or I might remember part of a dream that I think my be intriguing. I keep a notebook to jot down ideas for later use. My most recent idea happened because my basement flooded because of all the melting snow. I looked at the water and thought, “What if…?”

Q: How has being a published novelist differed from your expectations of the profession?

A: I never realized how much went into building a platform. I never even had a facebook page. And Twitter made no sense to me. But now, its just all a part of the profession. I try to keep it balanced.

Q: What advice or tips do you have for writers who are just getting started?

A: First, don’t give up. It’s a learning process. You don’t have to write a novel in a month (usually). Just write a little bit every day. Try for 500 words. If that works, try for a thousand. That’s my daily goal. Several of the authors I have admired for so long have taken the time to guide me, and that was the one thing they all stressed. Talking about writing is fine, but the book will only get written if you actually write.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?

A: I am working on the third story I hope to submit to Love Inspired Suspense. (The second story is in the hands of my editor. *Fingers crossed*). I’m bringing my love of Deaf Culture into this story. And one of the secondary characters from Presumed Guilty.

Q: When you’re not writing what do you like to do?

A: I spend a lot of time at my children’s activities. Wrestling, football, soccer, horse competitions. I also love to walk when the weather is nice, or watch movies. And of course, I enjoy reading.

Q: Where can readers find you on the internet?

A:  My blog is www.authordanarlynn.wordpress.com. Readers can also find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WriterDanaLynn or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DanaRLynn.

Q: Anything else you’d like to tell or share with us

A: In addition to writing suspense, I also am a huge Pride and Prejudice fan. I love variation stories, and in fact had one published in October through a small press, Astraea Press. Its an inspirational variation novella that I wrote between SYTYCW13 and Killer Voices.