Author Interview: Lynn Chandler Willis
A HUGE welcome to Lynn Chandler Willis, one of my fellow authors with Pelican Book Group. She's here to talk a bit about her debut novel, THE RISING.
Hi, Lynn! Welcome to Living the Write
Life. Tell us about Lynn Chandler Willis.
I've worked in the
corporate world, the television news industry, and the newspaper business. But
I keep coming back to writing fiction. I much prefer making up stories rather
than uncovering facts. My least favorite word is “apparently” and my least
favorite phrase is “according to.” I have a son and daughter, and with their
spouses, they've managed to bless me with nine grandchildren. Yes – there's a
set of twins in there.
Congratulations on the blessing of family...nothing is more important!
As a former newspaper
staff writer myself, I agree with your statements 100 percent. The phrase “according to” makes me want to gag, and as for "apparently," well...apparently we think a lot alike. :)
Moving right along...if you’re like most
authors, you love talking about your books. Tell us about your new one, The Rising.
The
Rising
will be released July 26 through Pelican Book Group/Harbourlight. It's an
amazing story about the power of forgiveness, primarily learning to forgive
yourself. The book is about Detective Ellie Saunders's investigation into the
brutal beating of a little boy. The child has no memory of what happened to
him, or even who he is. The only thing he can remember is walking with his
father along a shiny road.
Oh, my…sounds amazing—and
heart-wrenching! Where does the story take place, and why did you choose that
location?
It's set in the
foothills of the beautiful North Carolina mountains. I love everything North Carolina
has to offer and I needed snow for the plot. The mountains get much more snow
than our coast.
How important
is weather in choosing your settings?
Weather is like a
secondary character to me. It sets the mood and atmosphere for the whole book.
Passion, whether physical or emotional, tends to rise in heat. Loneliness tends
to rise to the surface in colder weather. I use the setting and its weather to
play into the overall tone I'm hoping to achieve.
Do you
prefer to write in the quiet or with background noise?
Oh, definitely background noise. Before I
write the first word of any new project, I create a playlist of music I feel
works well with the tone of the story. It may contain ten songs or forty songs
and I play it on a loop during each writing session. It puts me in the right
mind frame to create the world I'm hoping for.
How
have your writing sessions evolved over the years?
When I first started writing, I was a heavy
smoker and coffee addict. Each time I sat down at the computer, the cigarettes
and ashtray were on the right, coffee on the left. The three became so
entangled, I felt like I couldn't write if I didn't have my cigarettes and my
coffee. Well, I quit smoking, and honestly, I struggled to write. I couldn't
concentrate. I finally allowed myself the time to adjust to the changes and
stopped trying to force a sentence. After a couple months, it became easier and
easier. I've been smoke free for three years and have two books and a WIP under
my belt so I'm okay with that. I've gradually lost my interest in coffee, too.
Iced Mochas now for me.
Congratulations on breaking the smoking chain!
What was the most
challenging aspect of writing The Rising?
Getting the fight
scene right. I've never been in a physical altercation in my life so I relied
on my son and son-in-law to stage it for me – not that they've been in fights,
either (laughing) but I figured they knew more about it than I did. The medical
issues were another challenge. I sought help from several experts who were more
than willing to help.
Sounds
like a fun bit of “research.” J When and where will The Rising be available?
The Rising will be
released July 26. It'll be available in print and digital formats at Pelican Book Group's website, on-line retailers, as
well as my own website.
Thank you for
visiting Living the Write Life, Lynn. God bless your every writing endeavor…and I
know He will!
Readers, here’s contact
information for Lynn Willis:
Website
Pelican Book Group
Facebook
Twitter
A more official look at Lynn:
Lynn Chandler-Willis has worked in the corporate world (hated
it!), the television news business (fun job) and the newspaper industry (not a
fan of the word "apparently" and phrase "according to").
She keeps coming back to fiction because she likes making stuff up and you just
can't do that in the newspaper or television news business.
She was born, raised, and continues to live in the heart of
North Carolina within walking distance to her kids and their spouses and her
nine grandchildren. She shares her home, and heart, with Sam the cocker
spaniel.
She is the author of the best-selling true crime book, Unholy Covenant. The Rising is her
debut novel.
About THE RISING:
A little boy, beaten and left
to die in an alley. A cop with a personal life out of control. When their
worlds collide, God intervenes. Detective Ellie Saunders's homicide
investigation takes a dramatic turn when a young victim "wakes up" in
the morgue. The child has no memory prior to his "rising" except
walking with his father along a shiny road. Ellie likes dealing with facts.
She'd rather leave all the God-talk to her father, a retired minister, and to
her partner, Jesse, a former vice cop with an annoying habit of inserting
himself into her life. But will the facts she follows puts Ellie's life in
mortal danger? And will she finally allow God into her heart forever?
A peek inside the book:
“Jack told me you were at lunch.
Caper’s is one of my favorites, so I thought I’d take a chance.” He winked at
her then sidled closer. “Anyway, I was thinking about your dead kid—“
“He’s not dead.”
A waitress slammed a sandwich
down in front of Ellie, and Jesse helped himself to a homemade chip.
“OK, so he’s not dead. You have
sent his picture to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children?”
She huffed. “Did Jack send you?”
“No, Jack didn’t send me. I was
just thinking if the center didn’t get a hit, I’ve got a few connections with
the FBI, and they’ve got some really cool equipment.”
Ellie pulled a piece of bacon
from her sandwich and chewed on one end. “Thanks, but no thanks. I really don’t
want the Feds involved.”
Jesse snatched another chip and shook his
head. “No black suit with shades is going to swoop in and take your case,
Detective Saunders.” He grinned and helped himself to another chip. “I thought
we could get them to run his picture through the facial recognition scanner.
Maybe we’ll get a hit.”
What was with all the we stuff? The case was complicated enough. The last thing she
needed was Jesse involved. She didn’t need a constant reminder of her downward
spiral.
Hi, Lynn! Welcome to Living the Write
Life. Tell us about Lynn Chandler Willis.
I've worked in the
corporate world, the television news industry, and the newspaper business. But
I keep coming back to writing fiction. I much prefer making up stories rather
than uncovering facts. My least favorite word is “apparently” and my least
favorite phrase is “according to.” I have a son and daughter, and with their
spouses, they've managed to bless me with nine grandchildren. Yes – there's a
set of twins in there.
Congratulations on the blessing of family...nothing is more important!
As a former newspaper
staff writer myself, I agree with your statements 100 percent. The phrase “according to” makes me want to gag, and as for "apparently," well...apparently we think a lot alike. :)
Moving right along...if you’re like most
authors, you love talking about your books. Tell us about your new one, The Rising.
The
Rising
will be released July 26 through Pelican Book Group/Harbourlight. It's an
amazing story about the power of forgiveness, primarily learning to forgive
yourself. The book is about Detective Ellie Saunders's investigation into the
brutal beating of a little boy. The child has no memory of what happened to
him, or even who he is. The only thing he can remember is walking with his
father along a shiny road.
Oh, my…sounds amazing—and
heart-wrenching! Where does the story take place, and why did you choose that
location?
It's set in the
foothills of the beautiful North Carolina mountains. I love everything North Carolina
has to offer and I needed snow for the plot. The mountains get much more snow
than our coast.
How important
is weather in choosing your settings?
Weather is like a
secondary character to me. It sets the mood and atmosphere for the whole book.
Passion, whether physical or emotional, tends to rise in heat. Loneliness tends
to rise to the surface in colder weather. I use the setting and its weather to
play into the overall tone I'm hoping to achieve.
Do you
prefer to write in the quiet or with background noise?
Oh, definitely background noise. Before I
write the first word of any new project, I create a playlist of music I feel
works well with the tone of the story. It may contain ten songs or forty songs
and I play it on a loop during each writing session. It puts me in the right
mind frame to create the world I'm hoping for.
How
have your writing sessions evolved over the years?
When I first started writing, I was a heavy
smoker and coffee addict. Each time I sat down at the computer, the cigarettes
and ashtray were on the right, coffee on the left. The three became so
entangled, I felt like I couldn't write if I didn't have my cigarettes and my
coffee. Well, I quit smoking, and honestly, I struggled to write. I couldn't
concentrate. I finally allowed myself the time to adjust to the changes and
stopped trying to force a sentence. After a couple months, it became easier and
easier. I've been smoke free for three years and have two books and a WIP under
my belt so I'm okay with that. I've gradually lost my interest in coffee, too.
Iced Mochas now for me.
Congratulations on breaking the smoking chain!
What was the most
challenging aspect of writing The Rising?
Getting the fight
scene right. I've never been in a physical altercation in my life so I relied
on my son and son-in-law to stage it for me – not that they've been in fights,
either (laughing) but I figured they knew more about it than I did. The medical
issues were another challenge. I sought help from several experts who were more
than willing to help.
Sounds
like a fun bit of “research.” J When and where will The Rising be available?
The Rising will be
released July 26. It'll be available in print and digital formats at Pelican Book Group's website, on-line retailers, as
well as my own website.
Thank you for
visiting Living the Write Life, Lynn. God bless your every writing endeavor…and I
know He will!
Readers, here’s contact
information for Lynn Willis:
Website
Pelican Book Group
A more official look at Lynn:
Lynn Chandler-Willis has worked in the corporate world (hated
it!), the television news business (fun job) and the newspaper industry (not a
fan of the word "apparently" and phrase "according to").
She keeps coming back to fiction because she likes making stuff up and you just
can't do that in the newspaper or television news business.
She was born, raised, and continues to live in the heart of
North Carolina within walking distance to her kids and their spouses and her
nine grandchildren. She shares her home, and heart, with Sam the cocker
spaniel.
She is the author of the best-selling true crime book, Unholy Covenant. The Rising is her
debut novel.
About THE RISING:
A little boy, beaten and left
to die in an alley. A cop with a personal life out of control. When their
worlds collide, God intervenes. Detective Ellie Saunders's homicide
investigation takes a dramatic turn when a young victim "wakes up" in
the morgue. The child has no memory prior to his "rising" except
walking with his father along a shiny road. Ellie likes dealing with facts.
She'd rather leave all the God-talk to her father, a retired minister, and to
her partner, Jesse, a former vice cop with an annoying habit of inserting
himself into her life. But will the facts she follows puts Ellie's life in
mortal danger? And will she finally allow God into her heart forever?
A peek inside the book:
“Jack told me you were at lunch.
Caper’s is one of my favorites, so I thought I’d take a chance.” He winked at
her then sidled closer. “Anyway, I was thinking about your dead kid—“
“He’s not dead.”
A waitress slammed a sandwich
down in front of Ellie, and Jesse helped himself to a homemade chip.
“OK, so he’s not dead. You have
sent his picture to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children?”
She huffed. “Did Jack send you?”
“No, Jack didn’t send me. I was
just thinking if the center didn’t get a hit, I’ve got a few connections with
the FBI, and they’ve got some really cool equipment.”
Ellie pulled a piece of bacon
from her sandwich and chewed on one end. “Thanks, but no thanks. I really don’t
want the Feds involved.”
Jesse snatched another chip and shook his
head. “No black suit with shades is going to swoop in and take your case,
Detective Saunders.” He grinned and helped himself to another chip. “I thought
we could get them to run his picture through the facial recognition scanner.
Maybe we’ll get a hit.”
What was with all the we stuff? The case was complicated enough. The last thing she
needed was Jesse involved. She didn’t need a constant reminder of her downward
spiral.
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