Meet the Neighbors – Lynn Crandall with Dancing with Detective Danger
Today on Meet the Neighbors, I’m please to introduce another Lynn C. who writes for Crimson Romance. This Lynn (Crandall) writes romantic suspense and her first Crimson book, Dancing with Detective Danger came out in January of this year.
Please welcome, Lynn Crandall!
What does your family think of your writing?
I began writing romance novels when my children were very young. My youngest was dubious about my ability to convey a story to an editor, not because of my writing skills but because of my penmanship. He said, “How will the editor be able to read your writing?” Of course, when I showed him my typewritten pages, he was impressed. “Wow, so many pages. That must have taken you forever.” Like I said, he was young. Fortunately for me, all my family has always been intrigued by my writing and supportive of my efforts. When I wrote my first romance novel, Silver Wings, one of my step-daughters would plop down on her stomach while I was reading and read the latest scenes, then provide input, such as it was. My husband is a willing assistant for working on scenes depicting physical struggles. Now, my oldest son has also published a book, though it’s about something to do with computer software.
Where do you start when writing? Research, plotting, outline, or…?
I am a pantser and a freelance writer for commercial and trade magazines with a background in newspaper writing, so research is where I begin. I feel the research fuels the story that I haven’t gotten completely figured out yet. I create character bios, a loose outline and have ideas for scenes. I think as with newspaper and magazine writing, once the “lede” or “hook” is established, the story flows from there and characters reveal the plot as I progress through their story.
That’s a lot of pre-work for a pantser. Most of my planning is done in my head trying to answer my ‘what if’ questions. You rock!
If you could give the younger version of yourself advice what would it be?
Take time to discover who you are and who you want to be. I was always in a big fat hurry to move on and “be,” long before I knew much about myself or the world.
If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?
Please start with Dancing with Detective Danger. It released Jan. 21 and I presently am in love with the characters and how they face their struggles, as well as the book’s themes of following truth. Then read my first romance novel, Silver Wings. Readers have enjoyed the element of flying the book features, and I am very fond of those characters, as well, because they, too, faced inner conflicts that could have derailed their happy-ever-after. Both books feature strong family loyalties, something I think many readers can appreciate.
What do you hope readers take with them after reading your work? In Dancing with Detective Danger I hope readers will relate to the emotional journey of Sterling and Ben and enjoy the story’s development until a satisfying happily-ever-after. I feel that it’s fun to read about larger-than-life, idealized characters, but average, ordinary characters who face very human tendencies of dealing with life and relationships but triumph any way are more inspiring and I hope that’s what readers find in my books.
List two authors we would find you reading when taking a break from your own writing.
I am an avid reader and love classics from Jane Austen as well as paranormal romance from Kelley Armstrong.
Thanks for visiting A Fairy Tale Life, Lynn.
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Uncovering secrets and exposing truth are all in a day’s work for private investigator Sterling Aegar. But when her latest case threatens to reveal her own buried feelings for an old love, Sterling runs for cover.
A body in the bathtub and pleas from a jilted wife to find her wayward husband mean a welcome break from the usual humdrum cases Sterling and her sister, Lacey, are called to investigate. But when Sterling’s old flame, Detective Ben Kirby, walks into the murder scene, she feels her world spin out of control. Danger from thugs and murderers poses no greater threat than the peril she’d suffer if she lets daredevil Ben get too close.
Seeing Sterling for the first time in two years is for Ben like drinking in a healing tonic. He could never forget the way it felt to run his hands over her delicious curves or the way she touched his soul. She remains the one person who can make the emptiness in his gut go away. Finding the murderer is his job, but protecting Sterling from seriously dangerous people is his mission.
As the case unfolds, Sterling and Ben not only solve the murder and locate the missing husband, they confront secrets that set them each free from a painful past.
