The 2018 Author Interview Series Featuring Lyn Horner

Welcome to 2018 and my new author interview series. Author interviews will be posted every Friday throughout the year.

I am honored to continue this series with Lyn Horner. Lyn is a Texas author that writes contemporary and historical love stories.

For those of you that have read my interviews in the past, you’ll find a new set of questions in this series. You can catch up with all of my past author interviews (nearly 200) on my Author Directorypage.

Now, please enjoy this conversation with author Lyn Horner:

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

I like to give readers what they want, but melding two, three or more genres into one cohesive plot, as I enjoy doing, pretty much forces me to prioritize originality.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

LOL Despite my love of cross-genre stories, I’d probably order myself to stick with one genre. It would be much easier to market my books.

What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?

Prince of Foxes by Samuel Shellabarger. Published in 1947, the book was made into a movie starring Tyrone Power in 1949. I read it while in high school, and the story has stuck with me over the years. It’s an historical novel and a romance, the first I ever read. Likely unknown to most readers nowadays, this book sits on my bookshelf, inspiring me whenever I glance at it.

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Reading reviews is a mixed blessing I indulge in once in a while. I try to ignore bad ones unless they offer constructive criticism, and I smile in appreciation for the good ones. I hardly ever reply to either good or bad reviews, leaving it for readers to judge which is most helpful.

Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

I always include mysterious secrets that are eventually revealed to all readers. However, sometimes I base plot ideas on aspects of my life that few readers are aware of. For example, in Darlin’ Irish, Jessie Devlin’s gift of second sight (the ability to see into the future) springs from prophetic dreams I experience as a young woman. In Rescuing Lara, Connor O’Shea tells Lara about his mother and sister’s disability, a real genetic disorder that runs in my family.

Do you Google yourself?

Very seldom. It takes time away from writing.

What is your favorite childhood book?

That’s a tossup between Lassie Come Home and Black Beauty. I love animals!

If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?

That’s a question I’ve asked myself before. I enjoyed writing even as a youngster but had my heart set on becoming an artist. For that reason, I attended four years of art school after high school and worked as a fashion illustrator and art instructor for a number of years. Unfortunately, my hands deteriorated due to the hereditary condition mentioned above, making painting and illustration more and more difficult. That, plus raising two young children, led me back to writing. Now, I wish I had pursued a college degree in English and/or journalism instead of art.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

A long novel such as my western historical romances takes me a full year to write. A shorter novel from 40 to 50 thousand words, such as my Romancing the Guardians series, takes five to six months. That includes weeks of research since the books are set in far-flung locations, which I thoroughly enjoy. Learning about other countries and cultures is fascinating!

About Lyn:

Lyn Horner resides in Fort Worth, Texas – “Where the West Begins” – with her husband and several very spoiled cats. Trained in the visual arts, Lyn worked as a fashion illustrator and art instructor before she took up writing. She loves crafting passionate love stories, both historical and contemporary. Lyn also enjoys reading, gardening, visiting with family and friends, and cuddling her furry, four-legged children.

The author’s Texas Devlins series blends authentic Old West settings, steamy romance and a glimmer of the supernatural. This series has earned multiple awards and nominations, including Crowned Heart reviews and a Rone Award nomination from InD’Tale Magazine.

Lyn is now hard at work on her paranormal-romantic suspense series, Romancing the Gaurdians. These books combine her trademark flashes of psychic phenomena with Irish folklore and a chilling apocalyptic theme. Along the way, readers are treated to thunderous action, terrifying suspense and sizzling romance.

Check out her author page: HERE

Lyn’s Books: