Chrys: Today I have the great pleasure to have as a guest a wonderful lady and fantastic author, Lin Holmes.
Hi Lin, welcome! I am thrilled to have you here. J
Why don’t you tell me a little about your books?
Lin: First let me thank you for the opportunity to come here and talk about my work. This is only my second release and one of my all time favorite stories. Forever With You is a journey that a young woman who recently comes into money, but not in a way that brings her joy, must make. She’d always fantasized about developing the lake front mountain land she’d inherited, but her vision was quite different than what she must now create.
Armed with the blue prints from a very high profile architect, Coryne must find a reputable construction company that can deliver all the details she needs built into her new home, and do so in a very short period of time. The land must be graded, trees felled, macadam poured, and a one story cabin that will fit into the rustic mountain background and still deliver the very special aspects of the blueprints all in a mere heartbeat of time.
Keith Patterson owns and operates Patterson Construction. Coryne takes one look at him and feels something deep inside her that she’d forcefully determined was no longer viable, awaken. Looking for any reason to refuse to have this center-fold gorgeous hunk of raw man around her, she wonders if perhaps he is unsuitable for the job. Nobody who looks this good can deliver what she needs, she’s absolutely certain of that.
Her friends and co-workers vouch for Patterson Construction, and much to her chagrin, Coryne hires him.
The days, weeks and months that follow are torturous for Coryne. She sets up a small camping trailer on the site to oversee the progress. Not one of her smarter moves. Seeing Keith Patterson day after day with his shirt carelessly tossed on a nearby stump or vacant branch makes her jaw clench, her blood pressure rise and her dreams scorch the very air around her.
She must resist, she must resist. That mantra becomes her focal prayer. But Keith isn’t making it easy. With subtle glances, he lets her know the interest is not one sided at all. Damn, the very sight of him running his hand across the top of the workbench built into the garage raises her heat level twenty degrees.
The battle wears on her. Will she give in? It would be so easy…or it SHOULD be so easy.
Forever With You, the ending will surprise you and haunt you long after the last word has faded from your screen…I promise.
Chrys: Sounds great! What gave you the idea for this particular story?
Lin: Actually I rarely know where my stories come from. I’ll be going about my normal daily routine when Nudge, my annoying little inner voice, takes me over, forces me to grab pen and paper and channel Nudge. I never know what I’ve written until Nudge releases me, slips back into what ever corpuscle she is currently roosting in, and I get to read the rapid-fire chicken scratch she produced. So far, Nudge hasn’t steered me wrong.
Chrys: Tell me, Lin, are you a full-time or part-time writer?
Lin: Since Nudge controls my writing. I am a Nudge-time writer.
Chrys: lol! Love the term. I hope someone will nudge me into writing some day soon. Lin, when did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
Lin: My Grandmother was a wonderful storyteller; between her and the two 80 year old ladies, Katie Sickle and Mary Powers that lived two doors away, I think it was preordained. They regaled Little Lin with the wonderment of their lives, and I was enraptured. I knew I wanted others to feel the same awe from my stories that I felt when these three amazing women told their tales.
Chrys: What do you want readers to learn from your writing?
Lin: I think in everything I write there is a subtle message, whether it is something as simple as appreciating what you have because it can disappear in a heartbeat, or something more profound like, we all have choices no matter what pressures others place on us. Ultimately we can only blame others for so long. Sooner hopefully rather than later, we must claim ownership of the decisions we make.
Chrys: These are wise words. Which genres do you write?
Lin: Nudge is eclectic in what she feels compelled to make me say, so I don’t really have any one genre.
Chrys: What is the hardest part about being a writer? How do you get past it?
Lin: Promoting myself is the toughest part of being published for me. I grew up in a time when it was considered inappropriate to brag about yourself and your accomplishments. How do I get past it? My daughter, Kat Holmes, also an author at Muse, means more to me than words can ever express. I don’t want to ever disappoint her. Promoting myself is now part of this world she and I have adopted; that means I will do whatever they tell me is necessary so I do not let her down.
Chrys: Okay, now I will be nosy. Is there anything in your story based upon a real life event?
Lin: Only that like Coryne I have always dreamed about building my own mountain home.
Chrys: Is your protagonist like you?
Coryne responds to the events and emotions swirling around her the same way I would. I’m not sure she IS different. This is a very short story, so the trials and issues she confronts are very limited. If I were inclined to expand it, which I am not, then maybe some of our differing approaches to life might come to light. But for now, I do not see any differences.
Chrys: What kind of research did you do for this story?
Lin: I’m lucky in that I have college degrees in so many fields, a lot of what Nudge has me writing about has its roots in the areas I earned my degrees in. I would have needed to do research if I’d chosen to explain the blueprints. I am not an architect and have never had any desire to learn the mathematical formulas an architect must surely use. Having volunteered as a counselor at women’s shelters, I understand the legal aspects of what Coryne, as a Family Court Attorney and advocate for battered women, tries to do every day.
If I offer any more about Coryne and my own areas of expertise, I’ll give away the surprise ending and you really don’t want me to do that.
Chrys: Nope! Don’t! 🙂 Do writing violent or highly sexual scenes bother you?
Lin: Violent scenes, Sado-masochism…they bother me.
Chrys: Why, can you explain more?
Lin: Because there’s enough violence that is real…it becomes uncomfortable for me to fictionalize it, so I try to avoid it…but that is not always possible. Some stories would not have the powerful voices I hope I have given them if there weren’t aspects of one or both at some point within the body of the story. We are by our nature and societal norms a violent, species.
Chrys: That is so true. What is the most special thing about your book?
Lin: The surprise ending.
Chrys: Do you have a marketing plan?
Lin: More of this…being able to guest on blogs, my daughter’s BTR… For those of you who do not know what that is, my daughter has her own Blog Talk Radio show online Called Kat’s Writing Pen, I talk up everyone I come into contact with, but I’m also considering giving our local free paper that is delivered twice a month to our mailboxes a free copy of Forever With You to its publisher and asking her to give my daughter and me an interview as local talent if she likes it.
Chrys: *takes notes* 🙂 Where can people learn more about you and your work?
Lin: The Best place is at the Muse It Up and Muse It Hot Websites. www.museituppublishing.com
I also have my blogs and I often do what I call Cover Blogs, but Ginger Simpson another Muse author calls Stationary Trailers.
http://linsownblog.blogspot.com this is for the main Muse Authors
http://linsownbooklounge.blogspot.com this is for Muse’s YA authors
http://linsownoyster.blogspot.com this is for Muse authors and Non Muse authors who have books with other publishers. I will be adding at least one more soon so they we will have a spot for Mainstream AND HOT.
Chrys: I love your cover blogs! Any tips for new authors writing in the genre of your book?
Lin: You have to write what makes you feel on fire for your characters, their stories, their voices. If YOU don’t’ love them, no one else will. And research, research, research. Before you ever sub your precious manuscript, investigate which publishers have positive ratings and which don’t. Predators and Editors, Piers Anthony, Writer Beware…check them out…you can Google them for their websites. If you wait until you have signed that contract and you are with a disreputable publisher, you have opened your self to a hell that will rip your heart in two. Never sign until you have done your homework.
Chrys: Dear Lin, thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions! It was a pleasure having you over. Your story sounds great, and I can’t wait to read it! In fact, I am heading to the MuseItUp store right now. 🙂
See you all later – after THE END!
Thank you so much Chrystalla for inviting me to spend time with you. I need to explain some of the unusual misatkes in the content of my answers. And this is goign to sound really embarrassing since I was an actual teacher before my car accident almost a decade ago now…I’m dyslexic. I personally think my brain has developed its own dictionary and the rest of the world needs to catch up. You see blend, I see bendl. Normally my better than having none at all spell checker…(we need to have someone invent the DYSLEXIC’s SPELL CHECKER.)…does not know when my inner dyslexic types OWN I…the thinking and rational me, means WON.
I have tied to figure out how to hogtie my inner dyslexic while I am doing “business”, but it goes all spineless and oozes its way right through all my restraints. (A lead lined box? Hmmm maybe?)
Anyway, thanks again for letting me visit and cast my dysleci’s creativity out upon the waters here at your sight.
I truly enjoyed myslef…SEE…my inner dyslexic enjoyed herself too. 🙂
Wonderful, honest interview. Where ever Lin promotes herself, she always manages to find time to share her insights of the publishing worls with fellow authors. She is a rare breed. Unselfish and caring. I wisj you all the best in your career.
Viv
I’ve been very lucky because my first ms was accepted at Muse. Forever With You is my 2nd and I have ten more coming out in 2011 & 2012.
Muse Publishing, Inc. is such a special place, sharing who you are, why you are the who that you are, and how you can help your fellow Muse authors, editors, Lea, our publisher, and Litsa Kamateros, our Marketing Director in any and every way possible is just natural.
Lea and Litsa set the tone way back when I first came on board, March 29th and I have only grown more and more impressed, and more and more determined to be just as caring and determiend to help.
I hear there’s a lot of jealousy and back biting in this publishing world. I haven’t seen any of that at Muse, and you know why? Lea and Litsa would not tolerate it.
How could I not want to be as generous and caring about my fellow Musers as they are?
I feel deep compassion for those who are where backbiting and jeaousy exists. What a horrible way of sharing the beauty of your inner voice.
But Viviane, thank you for your words. They fill an already very lucky heart with more awe and joy.
What a great interview. I can just see the entire story through your eyes, Lin, except of course, the surprise ending! How can anybody walk away from that? And how did you write 10 more? You got a few elves stuck away to do the writing for you? Like Santa making his toys, maybe the elves help you write? Speaking of Santa, does everybody know that Santa is a Lady, was a huge hit and your book, too? Keep going, girl. You’re on a roll!
Hey Lin another good interview, kiddo. 🙂
Jerry
I’ve never called it nudge before, but i sure know the feeling. great interview.
Great interview, Lin. I even put away my editing hat to read this, because I love your writing and rarely for me it didn’t matter if you messed up on words and had some typos. You have so much passion for what you do and I love that you call that itch to write, nudge.:) I also work like that, from inspiration. You are awesome. Chrystalla thank you for having Lin here.
Dear Lin, it’s such a pleasure having you over! I didn’t notice the small mistakes you mention – the content grabbed me too much for that! I can’t wait to read your stories. Keep writing! 🙂
Thanks all for your words…Barbara I would love to find a sure fire leash for my inner dyslexic. IT’s not too bad that it messes up here with letters…but oh Lordy what it does with numbers. I have 527.36 in the bank…Don’t I wish…but for the example let us say that is the case. My inner screwball will see $762.35 and that is what it will put in my check book….Needless to say the bank gets richer off of me thanks to the overdraft fees…and before you ask why I don’t have overdraft portection… do you really think the bank is going to offer it me…someone as guaranteed as I am to make the mini-fortune every month sof the rest of my life?
And no, with Kat’s seizures she can’t take that over either. So I look at it this way…it’s safer, especially on our limited Disability checks, for my inner wing nut to make mistakes on the grammer side than it is on the math side.
Passion…if the story about life you mean to tell isn’t comething you feel from the place you live and breathe, the reader is going to know you are faking it. Faking it has its place…look at the success of reality shows…but not here, not when it comes to answering question about me…the me beyond the pen name of L.J. Holmes.