Meet Lynn Crandall

Today I welcome Lynn Crandall to my blog. Like me,
Lynn has a background in journalism but loves to delve into a fictional story
that will transport us to another place.
Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog today,
Betty. Very nice place to be!
It’s
great to have you here today, Lynn. Please tell us a little about yourself
I am a life-time
Midwesterner. I grew up in Michigan and now live in Central Illinois. My two
books, Silver Wings and Dancing with Detective Danger, are both
set in the Midwest because, I guess, it’s what I know. I look forward to future
books set in other places, though, for variety.

Talk
about the book(s) you’ve written. What was the first seed of an idea you had
for your book? How did it develop?

Dancing
with Detective Danger
developed from a thought of family,
the good and the bad of family relations. The heroine, Sterling Aegar, has had a
rough life, but her work and her relationship with hero Ben Kirby force her to confront
inner turmoil that has haunted her for years. I wanted a heroine who had
issues, and I think Sterling’s need to wall herself off from vulnerability is a
common issue among us humans. I wanted to explore coming face to face with her
dysfunctional ways and finding the courage to choose a different course,
because that’s interesting to me.

How
did you celebrate the publication of your first book (please keep this rated
PG).
Sorry, nothing sexy
here. My first book was Silver Wings
and I “celebrated” by buying new mattresses for my kids and my
husband and myself.

How
would you describe your writing process? Do you outline? Let the muse lead you?
Or something else?
I’m a pantser and it
drives me insane. I would like to know everything about what I want to put on
the page before I face the blank page, but I don’t work that way. So I create
three sections – beginning, middle, and end – of possible scenes, loosely written,
then soldier on day after day until I have a completed first draft. Then I go
back and revise.

What
food or beverages do you turn to while you are writing? Are you a stress eater
on deadline or a “lack of inspiration” eater when ideas are not flowing?
I get out of bed in the
morning so I can drink coffee. I enjoy a saying I recently read because it fits
me: “RE: Mission Statement; Drink coffee and make stuff up.” So yeah,
coffee helps.

Has
writing changed how you read books now?
I love reading more
because I write. I get so excited to “see” the story bones well done.
It really turns me on to read good writing.

What
are you currently working on?
Dancing
with Detective Danger
features Sterling Aegar, one of two
sisters who work together as private investigators. I am presently working on
the “Lacey book,” which is the story of the other sister. In the
first book Lacey’s dead husband appears to her to help her during some tough
times. The next book explores how she recovers from his death.

Do
you keep a notebook in your pocket, briefcase, purse, or on your bedside table
to write down ideas that come to you right away so you don’t forget them? Have
any of these ideas developed into a successful piece?
 I am loaded with such
tools. I have small pens and notebooks in the pockets of all my coats and a pad
of paper is within reach when I’m relaxing. But two of my sons are developing a
cellphone app that makes it so easy to add ideas to lists, and that is what I
often use these days to store ideas. Wherever the lists are, I draw from them.
Ideas pop from anywhere and everywhere at any time, so lists are saviors for me
when I sit down to write.

Thanks for stopping by
today, Lynn.  I wish you continued luck
with your writing.  

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books by clicking on the following:

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4 thoughts on “Meet Lynn Crandall

  1. RT Wolfe says:

    Lynn,
    I was surprised to read that you enjoy reading more now that you are an author. I am the opposite. I don't want to pay attention to POV changes or when the author hits the Black Moment or if they use floating body parts. Ugh. 🙂 Stay positive! Don't be like me! 🙂
    -R.T. Wolfe

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