About Lynessa Layne:
Originally from Plantersville, Texas, Lynessa now resides on the outskirts of Montgomery, Alabama with her husband, five children and a baker's dozen of furry and feathered friends.
She is a member of Romance Writers of America, The Royal Society of Literature (London, UK), Florida Writers Association, Alabama Writers Conclave, Tuscaloosa Writers & Illustrators Guild, and is a Writer's Digest Certified Copy Editor.
Lynessa is a 2017 Writer's Digest Short Story Competition winner (Top 25 – published in the annual competition compilation paperback) out of over 5,200 entries, and is also featured in Mystery & Suspense Magazine.
Nominated for Writer's Digest and Independent Authors Network 2021 'Book of the Year' for her first romantic suspense novel, 'DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES' (DCYE series #1), Lynnie continues to thrill readers who want more danger and suspense in their romance reads with her epic DCYE new adult series.
DCYE #1 and DCYE #2 ranked 31st and 33rd, respectively, in Goodreads Best Books of 2020, setting the stage for even greater expectations as her career progresses.
FUN FACT: Lynessa had three offers, from the first three agencies she queried, to represent her and the DCYE series, but decided to remain Indie. She remains open to the possibility of agency representation for standalone novels, but has thoroughly enjoyed publishing in paperback and eBook formats, learning the finer points of producing polished, professional-grade books herself.
What inspires you to write?
I grew frustrated scouring bookstore shelves to find a different kind of romance book from the commercial 'formula'. I wanted danger, suspense, push-pull dynamic, interwoven mystery, crime thriller and laugh-out-loud humor sprinkled in. I couldn't find what I was looking for, so…I wrote it myself. This inspiration continues to drive my work…to give you, the reader, stories like you've never read before. Fresh ideas, unique characters, and tantalizing romance of the uncommon variety.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
Francine Rivers, Agatha Christie, Jeff Lindsay, Charlaine Harris, Danika Dark, Brad Meltzer, Ted Dekker, Tosca Lee, Robert Ludlum, Stieg Larsson, Michael Connolly, Dean Koontz, so many more!
Tell us about your writing process.
I'm a yellow sticky and note card corkboard/murder board kinda girl. The story reveals itself like a movie in my mind from there.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
The mystery at the heart of my stories and the development of my characters reveals itself as THEY tell me where THEIR stories want to go. Often, I'll write a scene that doesn't even have a place to fit into a book yet, but my deviant characters insist it be included. I'm not an outliner. More a seat of the pants, along for the ride writer / documenter of my characters' perilous pursuits and romantic pitfalls.
What advice would you give other writers?
Write. Talking about writing isn't writing. Procrastinating on social media pretending to be a writer isn't writing. Get it down on paper (or computer) or it doesn't exist.
Being a writer isn't being an author. You can be a writer and never publish a word, but you can't be an 'author' without being published. "Do or don't, but give 100% if you do, or you won't." That's one of my husband's off the cuff original no b.s. quotes, but he's absolutely right. "Half-ass effort yields half-ass results." Both quotes – Anthony Layne
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I figured no publisher or agent would ever give a rip about some small town girl from Texas with no college degree. I've written since I was a kid, but just out of boredom or catharsis. I dreamed of being a professional writer, but who'd ever buy a book written by me?
For my 29th birthday, I challenged myself to A) write a book, and B) publish it (as an eBook) before I turned 30. I did, though looking back, the writing was quite sloppy and very naughty. Regardless, to my surprise, I ended up with fans…rabid fans! So, maybe I could weave a compelling tale? And people WOULD buy my stories?
I've since completed many courses on writing, publishing and have opted for mainstream versions of my writing instead of graphic romance.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think the time of being at the mercy of Big 6 publishers is over. We can publish our own work at will now. Big publishing houses are not evolving their 'formula' with our ever-growing self-made culture. They may have the distribution channels and dollars to market and put books on shelves, but there are far more intriguing and captivating new ideas coming from Indies every day.
What genres do you write?: Romance Suspense, Mystery, Crime, Thriller, Fiction
What formats are your books in?: eBook, Print, Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Lynessa Layne Home Page Link
Link To Lynessa Layne Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
