Lynessa Layne's Blog: The Dark Side of Light, page 2
March 31, 2021
'Villains of Romantic Suspense'
Special thanks to Editor-in-Chief Sam Boush for giving me this amazing opportunity!
Please read and let me know what you think! ;)
https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/vi...
March 19, 2021
MISSISSIPPI BOOK FESTIVAL!!!
#msbookfest #literarylawnparty will be accepting author applications mid-April for the August 21st 2021 Mississippi Book Festival!!! LIVE in Jackson, Mississippi!!! This info is directly from the Executive Director of the festival, Holly Lange (@hplange)!!!
I'll be there LIVE, in-person to meet, greet and autograph books! Looking sooooo forward to our return to 'NORMAL'! Can't wait to interact with everyone face-to-face! I'm sure there will be mask requirements, but so what?! We finally get to talk to our fans, new and old, and refresh the way it was before this covid mess!
I'm totally jazzed at the prospect of making real human connections, swag giveaways and sharing our love of the written word! Mark it on your calendars, and road trip your sweet arses off to get there, dollfaces!
Hope to see all my Goodreads friends there!
LLIL,
Lynessa
March 13, 2021
Gasoline is my Nemesis!
Everything started wonderfully today. Our whole family is together for Spring Break (including our oldest daughter Hubs picked up from Florida after work Friday). All of us rallied around our youngest this morning for her first ever city league soccer game. She played fiesty, saved several goals, and helped her team win 5 - 2! Victory for an 8-year-old is a big deal...means ice cream...with sprinkles! ('cause sprinkles are for winners!)
Our 17-year-old had to leave with hubs at halftime to get to his job, but they needed guy time anyway since the rest of us in the family are girls. Hubs then picked up SAT & ACT study books for the kids from the bookstore (that I will not speak the name of until they have my books on their shelves). Hmph!
After the game, we met up with hubs for lunch, found 'the perfect purse' at the thrift shop next door to the restaurant for our 11-year-old, who has suddenly discovered she 'needs a purse'. Then hubs agreed to accompany us to Eastchase shopping center in Montgomery to indulge my craving to try out clicky keyboards and 2-in-1 laptops. With Best Buy closing stores, we figured ours might be next, so why not see if they had any bankruptcy specials. YASS! I found EXACTLY what I've been looking for MONTHS to meet my needs as a writer-publisher, but the price had my neck and chest flushed and splotchy at the mere thought of asking hubs' thoughts on.
To my dumbfounded shock, Anthony gave me the thumbs up to get it! Yeep! He also grabbed the super clicky backlit ohmigoshineedit5000 gamer keyboard and tucked it under his arm en route to check out! He spent his annual bonus from work, and a chunk of his tax return to make me spill happy tears and run a giddy 'start the car!' quickstep! He reminded me I had met every one of his demands required as an author-publisher to earn this reward, and today he was making good on his promise! Not only had he already invested in converting the basement flex space into a writing cave / home office of my own, but he'd now procured the top notch gear the pros use to produce books! I couldn't help it. I bawled. There, I said it. We've had to be so frugal the past few years that this was a big deal to spend so much on his Indie author wifey. Of course, he had to capture the moment, red leaky teary eyes and all on camera, but totally worth it.
Then, hubs' multiple suggestions to fuel up along the way throughout the day flooded back into my overjoyed mind as the car ran dry and I had to call my bestie neighbor to ask her to bring gas! Oh the humanity and embarrassment! First time I've EVER done that, and the whole time we waited and all the way home after hitting a gas station, the 'I told ya so' smirk never left his face. He didn't have to speak a word. I just know "remember that time you ran out of gas" will be a recurring theme for the rest of our days any time I go below half a tank forevermore. Facepalm factor eleven.
Gasoline. The villain in today's HEA. Gasoline...my kryptonite...my Lex Luthor...my...NEMESIS! Let's not make this a series, shall we?
Hope you find joy and adventure this week, sans nemesis!
LLIL,
Lynessa
March 6, 2021
Mystery and Suspense Magazine
This is a first for me, and to be included in a periodical chock full of articles and interviews with the likes of Brad Taylor and James Rollins is a little intimidating. Given the opportunity to speak for an entire genre of books, though, I had to cowgirl-up and represent our rapidly growing community of writers and readers. Big responsibility, so I hope the article does you all justice and better encapsulates the common denominator that defines all sub-genres of romantic suspense...THE VILLAIN.
Whether the weather, the paranormal, alien, robot or human, the villain creates the danger and suspense that both pull our protagonists together and push them apart. Just as the seminal kiss is about to go down...damn! The villain interjects!
You know what I'm talking about. You love to hate them, yet the story would lack the suspense you crave without them. They're dastardly, yet necessary evils to amp up the wanton and deliciously frustrating desire our lovers fight to keep aflame!
So, if you're desperately seeking to define what makes romantic suspense worthy of its own genre heading at the bookstore, look no further than the story's villain. Hope you enjoy the article! Due out in April!
Special thanks to Sam Boush, Editor-in-Chief of Mystery and Suspense Magazine for offering this opportunity!
Link to Mystery and Suspense Magazine:
https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/
Have a romantically suspenseful day! 💗
LLIL,
Lynessa
February 27, 2021
A Week of Firsts
FIRST book signing event we've ever held. ✅
FIRST time we've had conflicting kid schedules.✅
FIRST time I've found a hair stylist I truly trust.✅
FIRST autographed Mary Higgins Clark book.✅
FIRST autographed Dean Koontz book.✅
FIRST time my 8-year-old daughter played in a soccer match.✅
FIRST time winning on a slot machine.✅
Starting with last Friday, I finally found a hair stylist/colorist I really hit it off with and completely trust to do an amazing job on my locks! (It only took 38 years.) I needed a new do and color for my upcoming book signing, and was very nervous, worried about showing up to the event with a chop shop disaster. I couldn't watch (kept my eyes locked closed through the whole appointment, from the first snip of scissors until she was ready to reveal the new look in the mirror. When my lids finally unclenched, I was soooooooo happy with the results! Aesthetic confidence for a public appearance bestowed! Thank you Janelle! 💗
Saturday, hubs, the kids, and I were shopping in a local antique mall and the thrift shop next door to it. Anthony found the first autographed Mary Higgins Clark book I've ever seen, and since she's no longer with us, I'll never get to meet my all-time fave author, so I HAD to have it. Would you believe...$5! It's going in the #treasurechest. Yes, hubs and my son built a legit treasure chest for me a couple of years ago. Only the most valuable things go in it, and they're all sentimental, not jewelry or money. Memories. Reading MHC books helped me through many difficult youth and young adult years, so she earned a place in my chest (heart included).💗 Also scored an autographed Dean Koontz novel!
Wednesday, nerves wracked me to the core as my first ever book signing approached. Hubs was amazing, though, and helped calm me so much. He lugged the cases full of books, swag and table dressings he'd bought for 'someday'. Then someday was here. Real. He set up my table, backdrop and coordinated with Brandon Jordan, the evening's music performer, did a little light coaching, then handed everything over to me. Crazy how life's little geckos morph into fire-breathing dragons in your mind from fear of the unknown. Alas, everything went so smoothly, and I enjoyed interacting with everyone so much that I'm totally looking forward to the next event. Of course, there were lessons learned about preparation, pre-staging and organization, but small potatoes compared to how much fun it was!
Thursday evening was a hair-pulling first. I've always been careful about scheduling, especially with my kids' activties, but with two girls in karate class, my youngest in a soccer match, my oldest teen needing a ride home from his fast food job, and hubs still at work, I found myself in a first-time pickle. Ultimately, everyone got where they needed to be, albeit a few minutes late back and forth across town, and I got my youngest to her game in time to play. Stress melted humorously as my 8-year-old entertained herself - and everone in the stands - dancing, doing cheer routines and even hamming it up in bodybuilding and sumo wrestler poses every time the action was on the opposite end of the field. Soccer Mom facepalm. The most fascinating part was when the ball was on her end of the pitch, she was a tenacious little monster stealing the ball and kicking it forward up the field!
Finally, Friday night, Anthony and I enjoyed karaoke together at a nearby spot that has slot games. I'd never won anything in my two other times in my life going to casinos, but last night I won a hundred bucks! Woo-hoo!
All-in-all, a good week, and today I'm working on the feature article for a literary genre magazine, requested by the editor-in-chief. Also a FIRST. No pressure.
Roll Tide!
LLIL
Lynessa
February 19, 2021
Reflection
Then, my husband reminded me to "just breathe", and that he'd help in anyway I needed. Then, he tweeted a throwback photo from five years ago with the sweetest one-liner and a heart. In that instant, I was reminded what really matters, day in and day out.
The laundry wouldn't wash itself. The dishes wouldn't go floating about the kitchen Cinderella-style and clean themselves. The messes that *poof* appear on a daily basis from a household of seven wouldn't magically disappear themselves back from whence they came. Yet, as the mundane crises of a homemaker, homeschooler and home-based writer piled up, it was all I could focus on. It wrecked my patience and poise for the entire day. I'm sure my kids were conjuring images of the Wicked Witch of the West as I melted down in my puddle of frustration.
Hair appointment! Crap! Gotta go!
With all the fires left to put out weighing on my mind, my fairy hair mother gave me reprieve from the challenges of the day and week, and an uncommon chance to escape the galloping horsemen of the queendom. It was after verbally vomiting my problems onto my stylist that Anthony sent a singularly powerful image that whooshed away the pestering problems that only this spiraling Aspie could manage to turn into impenetrable mountains of doom. There we were, Newport, Rhode Island, in the snow, his strong arms and hands pulling me in for a tender kiss. The photographer, a fellow coffee shop patron who offered one random act of kindness to capture the moment, her composition was perfect. She captured through the aperture the one thing most difficult to arrest...love.
One photo in still frame spoke volumes to me that a million books could never immaculately conceive, no matter the author. Real. True. Love.
Thank you to our random kind person that day, whoever and wherever you are. Your seemingly inconsequential moment in our lives immortalized a moment we can never go back in time to re-live, yet we have it still, to re-mind us what's really important.
Upon returning home, the messes seemed smaller than I had built them up in my mind to be. The laundry wasn't as unmanageable as I had made it. The piles of dishes and puppy poo were just little landmines with perfectly capable teenagers to disarm them for me. All it took was one photo to stop me in my tracks and calm the raging tempest of a runaway mind, to still the air in my lungs so I could "just breathe."
Here's to you, that whatever mountains and horsemen and landmines life is throwing at you today, that you find that one thing that helps you "just breathe" from someone you live and breathe for.
Love you all, and hope your weekend is full of Like, Love and In Love moments.
LLIL,
Lynessa
February 12, 2021
It's Been a Good Week!
First, my final version of DCYE in paperback came in (2 cases / 36 copies), and I am soooo happy with the final product! The ARC version had an ounce of polishing to be made on minor issues, but the version you buy in-store or online, I'm satisfied with, and I sincerely hope you enjoy it.
Next, Charlaine Harris (an all-time fave author) had wonderfully encouraging words of advice in a message to me. So humbled and excited to hear from her!
Then, I was asked to write a feature article for a major genre fiction magazine (kinda threw up in my mouth a little bit from nerves and being overwhelmed to be asked out of the blue by the Editor-in-Chief)!
And, I got to send out copies of my book to friends and family who've stood by me through everything to get to this place in life and writing/publishing.
My 13-year-old tested for and won her next belt in karate, and my 17-year-old started his first paycheck job (he's been mowing lawns and taking care of neighbors' and friends' pets while they're on vacation / out of town up to this point). He looks so handsome and grown-up in his work uniform!
Our three youngest girls all won Queen in their divisions at their first pageant (I am so not a pageant mom), and we're about to start youth soccer season. My bestie up the street and I will be, umm..."coaching"? We'll see how that goes. ;D
Finally, we got a new puppy! Phoebe's passing last month after 13 years of being our family's loyal canine pal devastated all of us. It was absolutely heartbreaking. Today, though, it was like adopting 'Phoebs' anew. He looks just like her as a puppy, and has the same gentle, loving personality. He (we haven't named him yet) will never replace our sweet girl, but he's definitely going to be our pal for the next season of our lives.
On top of it all, my man is taking me out for Valentine's dinner and has surprises for me waiting at home! My cup is full.
Happy Valentine's weekend all, and may YOUR week be blessed. Thank you for friending, following and caring! One random act of kindness a day can make a person's day and a positive difference in this crazy world. Love wins!
LLIL,
Lynessa
February 4, 2021
10,000 words in a night...
Best guestimate would be in the neighborhood of 100,000 to 150,000 words per month. Granted, chunks of that go into short stories and other projects as I'm inspired. A LOT more of my time goes into editing on my kindle as opportunity presents itself, then transferring edits to laptop for inclusion in various projects. When my characters are feeling froggy, I've been known to marathon up to 20,000 words, but some days, I end up with under 2,000 while my hubs cranks out 7,000+.
The creative process for me isn't about reaching a quantitative goal day after day, but rather, a qualitative one, moment by moment. In short, if you're a writer wading into the waters of your first works, just listen to the story your characters want to tell, play it in your mind like a movie, then capture on paper, sticky notes, computer, typewriter, digital voice recorder, as it unfolds. Get a feel for the tide before you set lofty goals to swim the channel on a daily basis because everyone else is doing it. You might just drown if you push too hard before you've trained for the challenge. A 5k you survive and feel accomplished with is better than a marathon that kills your creative flow and burns you out.
December 14, 2020
You Mentioned What?!
Recently, I received a one star negative review from a reader who felt my dumb protagonist had stooped too low. This reader admitted they quit the book halfway through, therefore had no way of knowing the resolution. In a past writer’s life, their words may have devastated me, however I now learn from every review rather than allow myself to doubt my mission. After all, I’d written the exact actions of my characters knowing they would offend but staying true to their nature.
What was so offensive, you may wonder, unless you’d read the review already?
My character, Kinsley, was talked into sleeping with two men at once.
Gasp! Hand slapping over mouth! Eyes wide! “But you’re a Christian! How could you write something so secular? You should be ashamed!”
Yup. But it wasn’t the fact that she slept with two men. The mention of God afterward was the offensive part, because God has no place in something so debauched or offensive. Why did I write that situation into the book?
Because part of the challenge for Kinsley is that she herself is a Christian, so her morality and faith is being truly tested for the first time. The men in her life don’t care so much, but for a character of faith, or a believer in real life, this is the truth trial we face.
Once upon a time I wrote erotica. The era was Fifty Shades of Grey. A group of my mommy friends were raving about the story, so I read the series and challenged myself to surpass the scandalous situations in the books. After all, no one else was affected by what I was reading. No one could see through my Kindle. Just me and the book. Wrong. What goes in is what comes out. I used the erotica as an aphrodisiac in a failing marriage and during postpartum depression. The stimulation masked my ability to see the issues turning me off as something needing immediate addressing, however instead of proactively working on these issues, I hid in reading situations that made mine not seems as unhealthy as intuition was trying to tell me.
I’d never written a book before, but I was tired of reading the same ol’ weak females. After all, in real life I’d known plenty of strong women who’d also been talked into awful regrets.
I wrote what ended up being my first Don’t Close Your Eyes Series. In that series, Kinsley gets herself into situations sexual temptations pulled her into. While this time around I am rewriting for a less pornographic audience (after all, I still love a great romance scene without debauched terminology) I cannot leave out the same pitfalls she fell into in the original. I fade to black where I can, but sex happens in real life. I’ve learned grace with words compared to before and every word I am acutely aware I will answer for at some point, whereas last time around I wasn’t in a healthy frame of mind or relationship.
How could I mention God after such a situation? How dare I?
This is exactly what a sinner is thinking after they’ve sinned and fallen from grace, they think God has no place in their lives anymore, so they walk away. They don’t know how to fix what they’ve done to atone. People who find out condemn their actions and shun them rather than finding out and praying for their fallen brother or sister to see the truth in what we CHRISTians claim to believe. The sacrifice of Jesus (Yeshua) for our sins and the ability to ask forgiveness and repent. If God doesn’t have a place with sinners after sin, then what are we believing, those of us who do?
In God’s eyes all sin is equal, with the exception of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, and all men have fallen short of His glory. Sin is sin. Prayer and repentance are the answer. Not pushing God away from a bad act, but pulling Him closer for healing and help. The gross feeling of falling from grace is where the repentance comes from.
To those I may offend further by writing real acts of people I know or have known through fallible characters, including myself, I’m sorry for offending, but remember not all are fortunate enough to have never been preyed upon during weakness. Not all of us have been strong enough to walk away when wanting to be liked or under pressure. I write the fallibility of humans in dark places and situations, their struggles, even the ones who resent or hate Christians because I’ve walked through each of the phases and don’t like pretending the bad sides aren’t real.
I don’t mind the offense. I don’t mind if a reader stops reading because it wasn’t the story for them. I don’t mind the criticism, in fact it’s a building block. Now you know why I have the audacity to write what offends.
October 30, 2020
Protected: DSoL Interview with Jase Taylor
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The Dark Side of Light
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