Joining me today in My Writing Corner is romance author, Louise Lyndon. Please share with us a little
about your road to publication. How did you get published?
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. But, for a
long while I didn’t actually write anything but was still calling myself a
writer. I felt like a bit of a fraud. Then I turned the big FOUR OH and
thought, “If I do not do this now, then I will never do it.” I pulled my finger
out, finished a story I had in my head for a couple of years and submitted it.
I signed a contract with TWRP a couple of weeks after my 41st
birthday.
Your newest book is Of Love and
Vengeance. What a great title and what a great cover! What is it about?
It’s about a few things really. Firstly, it’s about
prejudices, mainly about how we can tar an entire group by either
misconceptions or by the behavior of a few. Both the hero and heroine are guilty
of doing this, so we get to see how they deal with this. It’s also about
acceptance, not just of each other, but of yourself as well. Laila, the heroine
of, Of Love and Vengeance, has a birthmark that covers one side of her face,
and she really struggles with loving herself because of it.
That is a wonderful premise. What gave you the
idea for this story?
I spent 16 years living in the UK and while there I loved
going to visit all the historical sites – in the UK, you’re not short on
historical sites! It was while I was up in York and wondering around some
medieval ruins I got to thinking about the people who walked before me all
those years ago. I started thinking about their lives, what were they
like…anyway, while strolling through the park in York a line of dialogue popped
into my head, “Carac will be able to protect you and the babe…” That was it
that was all I had. It developed from there.
How do you come up
with your story ideas?
I tend to have snippets of scenes popping into my head
that’ll get me thinking, ‘What happens if…” I’ll think about the scene for
weeks, sometimes for months, just working stuff out in my head. Slowly, the
story will develop from there.
What about your characters? How do you develop
them?
Truthfully? I don’t do what is drummed in to perhaps most of
us writers – that is, start off with a character sketch. I’ve tried doing them
in the past and I just draw a blank. So I’ll just start writing a scene. Now,
that scene could appear anywhere in the story, or nowhere at all. And the more
I write, then the more I get to know the character. There is a lot of going
back and forth when I write. As I discover something about the character I’ll
go back and layer that in. I never start off with a totally blank character, I may
know a couple of things about them, but it’s safe to say I develop them as I go
along.
How do you research
your stories?
I tend to research as I go along. For example, I have a
birth scene in Of Love and Vengeance, so I asked myself, ‘what did they do for
labor pain in medieval times?’ So I researched that snippet of information. I’m
not someone that does the research first, I do the writing and then do the
research to see if such and such could really happen/did happen/was possible in
medieval times!
Do you always know
how your story is going to end?
Yes, because I need to know where I am heading. I just don’t
necessarily know what happens in the 300 plus pages prior to typing, The End!
What are you working
on now?
I am working on a story tentatively titled, Of Love and
Betrayal. It’s set in medieval times and takes place about fifty or so years
after, Of Love and Vengeance. And it may, or may not, have some of the same
characters in it!
On your website you
mention falling in love with the books of Diana Gabaldon. What touched you about them?
Oddly enough, I am not going to say Jamie Fraser! Although,
after about book two he played a major role in keeping me reading the series. I
like reading about strong, intelligent women who can take care of themselves,
while at the same time not being so independently strong they don’t need anyone
to look after them on occasion. At times, we all need a little help along the
way. That doesn’t make us weak, that makes us sensible! And Claire, I feel, is
all of those things. Also, I just love how DG weaves the history through her
stories, without making it feel like a history lesson.
How about a blurb
for Of Love and Vengeauce?
Forced to marry Lord Aymon to
ensure her young nephews survival, English Lady Laila vows undying hatred for
the Norman she holds responsible for the deaths of so many innocents.
Discovering Aymon has committed an act of treason gives her the chance to seek
vengeance he deserves. But can Laila let Aymon die at the hands of
the king once she learns the truth?
A hardened Norman warrior, Lord Aymon has lived through atrocities no man ever should. With the invasion of England over, all he wants is a quiet life and a wife who will give him heirs and obey his every command. Instead, he finds himself wed to feisty and outspoken Laila. But when she learns the truth of his treasonous act, can Aymon count on her to keep his secret?
How can readers reach
you or find you online?A hardened Norman warrior, Lord Aymon has lived through atrocities no man ever should. With the invasion of England over, all he wants is a quiet life and a wife who will give him heirs and obey his every command. Instead, he finds himself wed to feisty and outspoken Laila. But when she learns the truth of his treasonous act, can Aymon count on her to keep his secret?
Buy Links:
The Wild Rose Press, Amazon US,
Amazon AU,
All Romance eBooks,
Kobo,
Bookworld,
Social media
EMAIL: louise_lyndon@yahoo.com
WEB: www.LouiseLyndon.com
BLOG: www.LouiseLyndon.com/blog
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/pages/Louise-Lyndon/1472910852955051
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LouiseLyndon1
PINTEREST: llyndon3513
WEB: www.LouiseLyndon.com
BLOG: www.LouiseLyndon.com/blog
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/pages/Louise-Lyndon/1472910852955051
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LouiseLyndon1
PINTEREST: llyndon3513
AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Louise-Lyndon/e/B00PTM785E/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9882316.Louise_Lyndon
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Hi Rebecca, thank you so much for having me today. It's great to be here.
ReplyDeleteLouise, great interview! Really got a good feel for your characters. Cannot imagine how you get started without a character sketch, but that's the beauty of writing, everyone does it differently and uses what works best for them. Love the title of your book, too.
ReplyDeleteHi Hebby - it would make my life easier if I could do a sketch first! I spend a lot of time going back and forth which makes me a very slow writer. I sometimes envy those who can do a sketch first.
DeleteWonderful interview. I write somewhat like you do. When I need to do research, I stop and go out to find the answer I need. I've just started a new Christmas story, and I don't have all the characters named. Some are called XXXX and CCCC! I enjoy when writers share their process. Good luck with your release.
ReplyDeleteHi Judy. And thank goodness for the internet! It makes researching quicker and easier. Although, I still have a box or two of research books.
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