C.J.’s Comments (group member since Jun 18, 2013)

C.J.’s comments from the Ask C.J. Lyons - Tuesday, July 2nd! group.

Cindy wrote: "C.J.,
I enjoyed reading all of your answers to our questions today. I feel as if we've gotten to know a little bit more about you and your books.

Thanks!"

And thanks to everyone who dropped in to ask a question or comment! It's always tons of fun hanging out with readers who enjoy thrillers!

For anyone who wants to continue the conversation, you can always find me at the Thrillers with Heart group here on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/8...

Until next time, happy reading!
CJ

Amy wrote: "Hi CJ! Just a quick question for you... How do you think your career as an ER doc reflects in your writing style? Do you draw from past experiences or use writing as a way to escape the world of..."

Hi Amy! I was a writer long before I was a doctor--writing has always been my way of making sense of the chaos surrounding us...but yes, working in the ER and seeing the highs and lows of humanity as well as tragedies and unexpected heroics has certainly impacted my writing style.

I think that's why I always tie the emotions of a character into their decisions that move the plot along...just like in the ER where the right or wrong decision can mean life or death.

KILL ZONE is probably the best example of this. The entire story takes place in four hours and every choice Lucy is given is a lose/lose proposition (yeah, I'm cruel that way, setting things up so she had no way to win) so we truly see someone forced to make life or death decisions in a split second knowing that even if she makes the right choice someone will die...

Toni wrote: "C.J. wrote: "Toni wrote: "Hi CJ - I can't wait for the next Caitlyn book. Will we see Goose again?"

Absolutely Goose is back, and yes, sparks will fly!"

Yay! I always liked him better than the ..."

Yeah, Paul was a perfectly sweet, perfect normal, perfect guy--no match for Caitlyn!

Toni wrote: "Hi CJ - I can't wait for the next Caitlyn book. Will we see Goose again?"

Absolutely Goose is back, and yes, sparks will fly!

Cathy wrote: "Hi CJ
I'm reading Lucy Guardino's story now and really enjoying the character. Do you plan additional stories for her and do you generally find a series preferable to a standalone book?"

Hi Cathy! I'm thrilled you're enjoying Lucy's adventures!

I'm hard at work on AFTER SHOCK, Lucy #4, so she'll definitely be around for awhile...I enjoy both series and standalone stories, it's all about what fits the characters' stories best.

I do know that my readers enjoy series more than standalone stories, so I try to develop series whenever possible. But it all depends on the characters.

Gina wrote: "Hi C.J. thanks for taking the time to interact with us. I love your books but have to admit to being partial to Lucy. She was my first (laughing). I have read the first two Shadow Ops and soon gett..."

Hi Gina! What a great question! In the Hart & Drake books their relationship evolves much more realistically--it takes two books before he trusts his feelings for her (other than the sexual attraction) and not until the end of the third book that she can truly trust him with her feelings and make a commitment. But those two characters were both so very wounded by past mistakes of the heart that it made sense they would go slow (readers have compared them to JD Robb's Eve and Rourke in that respect).

With Shadow Ops the books are so very fast paced that I couldn't really have the traditional "courtship" period (hard to do with bullets flying) but I wanted to capture that very real chemistry of attraction that adrenalin can be a catalyst for.

In fact, in LOST IN SHADOWS, Lucky actually tries to dissect his feelings and Vinnie keeps dismissing them as a "mere chemical reaction brought on by flight or fight, an evolutionary instinct for survival of the species"

In CHASING SHADOWS, it's more lust and irritation at first sight but only after they both lower their guards enough to tell each other the truth and begin to trust can they form the bond they need to save each other's lives

Which makes sense, because think of the life of an undercover operative on long term assignment, never knowing if the next breath he drew would be his last...that would lead to a lot of wistful thinking and fantasies about any desirable woman he met, so I think Chase's reaction to KC fits...I actually really, really love their relationship in the second book, LOST IN SHADOWS, because the reader gets a chance to see just how far they've both fallen and keep falling in love--and how their love has changed them for the better.

As for my real life, yes, I've experienced both love and lust at first sight--I think we'd all be lying if we said we haven't! And yeah, living in a world fueled with adrenalin like the ER definitely makes it a lot easier--also a lot easier to make a horrible mistake by putting too much faith in hormones, but that would be a whole different story, lol!

For any one who wants to continue the discussion with me and other thriller authors, come join us on the Thrillers with Heart discussion group:

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/8...

Tons of fun and lots of free and discounted books as well as opportunities for advanced readers copies!

Joan wrote: "Thanks for being here today, CJ! I've been going back and forth from the questions and answers to looking at your other books! I didn't realize before reading through today that you had so many b..."

It's hard for me to keep track as well, Joan! By the end of the year I'll have 21 books out!

Thanks for taking a look at them, happy reading!

Joan wrote: "Hi CJ:
I'm fairly new to your books. I loved Blind Faith and was so excited to see Black Sheep because I loved the Caitlyn character.

My question would be about your writing process. Do you outl..."

Hi Joan! Glad you're enjoying Caitlyn's adventures--she and Jake will be back in HOLLOW BONES coming out August 28th.

I don't outline--something my editors hate because it means I never know what's going to happen in a story until I see where the characters lead me...but that's the fun in it for me. And, if I'm surprised, then hopefully so will my readers!

Karen wrote: "I kind of thought that might be the case--we always hear truth is stranger than fiction!! But you have such a wonderful way of sharing it with us :). Thank you!!"

You're very welcome! Thanks for reading!
CJ

Sybil wrote: "Hi CJ! I started reading your books with Lucy and I love the series. My next group will be the medical ones and I just know that I will enjoy those as well. I will read them all this summer, eve..."

Thanks, Sybil! Writing as fast as I can, lol! It's so wonderful to have readers like you waiting for the next books!
Take care,
CJ

Val wrote: "Hi CJ! HUGE fan here! Your books are so intriguing, I always have a hard time putting them down. I have a couple of questions. First, will you ever be coming to Las Vegas on a book tour? And s..."

Hi Val! No immediate plans to go to Las Vegas--always subject to change if I get invited to speak...and I never know where a single story is going, much less a series, lol!

For example, I thought this next Lucy story was going to be a simple one, a bit of breathing room after the high-intensity action in KILL ZONE...oh no, Lucy won't let me take things easy! It's going very dark and very, very edgy, leading to an emotional cliff that I have no idea how Lucy is going to get down from...

Margery wrote: "Thanks, CJ. I'll see what's available in my area. Unfortunately, living in the middle of nowhere and not being American makes it a little more difficult to access FBI/CIA info :)"

LOL! I see a roadtrip in your future!

Have fun with it!
CJ

Karen wrote: "I am a fan of all of your books that I've read! I have read the first two Shadow Ops books, and have been waiting a long time for this third one in the series! I'm glad it's finally here. If you wr..."

Thanks, Karen! And I do apologize for the delay on EDGE OF SHADOWS--sometimes you just can't rush a story, as much as readers want you to.

I hope you find it's worth the wait! Please feel free to leave a review!

Happy reading,
CJ

Margery wrote: "Hi CJ, how've you been? I have a writing question for you. I'd love to write an FBI/CIA/law heroine, but I'm worried about the research since I have no background. Where and how did you start resea..."

Margery, to me the most important research is talking to people and understanding their mindset--in fact, the greatest praise I've received for any of my books comes from the FBI agents and law enforcement officers who write to tell me I've "nailed" Lucy or that they actually worked with Lucy!

None of that came from reading the FBI's undercover operations manual or Law Enforcement Bulletin or even visiting Quantico...it came from meeting real people and understanding what makes them driven to do what they do.

You can meet people by volunteering--perhaps with your own local police department (many use civilians to answer phones and help with paperwork) and start meeting LEOs, learn why they do what they do. Many organizations also offer citizen police academies.

The technical stuff you can learn by researching online but the heart and soul part, that comes from real people.

Hope that helps!
CJ

Tasha wrote: "Thanks CJ I'm loving getting to know you better here. It's fascinating."

Thanks for stopping by, Tasha!

Vicky wrote: "I've loved your books from the start. Did you find it any more challenging to write a YA than your other books?"

Hi Vicky! I have to admit I was terrified to try my hand at YA--everyone kept asking me to do one, given my background as a pediatrician, but I knew I couldn't just turn an adult thriller into YA, that's not what the kids were looking for.

I read a lot of YA, so I knew the kids would demand not just a compelling read but also one that is a lot more emotionally honest than I can go with my adult books. Adults read for entertainment and vicarious thrills, kids read to explore and experience the choices they'll be facing as adults, so it's a different type of book.

But, once I started BROKEN, I realized I actually had the freedom to go darker and edgier than with my adult novels. I was amazed at how much fun I had unleashing my inner-teen!

The second YA (which I think is the best book I've ever written!) will be out in 2014 is very dark, but truly is a book that might save lives--something the pediatrician in me is very proud of.

Of course, the proof will be in the kids' response (fingers crossed!) but so far the early reviews have been stellar, so I'm planning to keep writing more YA--not sure I could stop, they are so much fun!

Brenda wrote: "You are without a doubt my favorite author. I have loved everything you've written. My favorite series is the Angel of Mercy books. I really like medical thrillers. The only trouble I have with..."

Brenda, wow, you just made my day, thanks! I'm so happy that you're enjoying my books--and love that you can't put them down! I work very hard to make them that way, probably the toughest job I have!

Thanks for stopping by!

Donna wrote: "I have just read my first book (Blind Faith) by you and I was very please. I am looking forward to reading another one of your books."

Blind Faith Donna, thank you so very much! BLIND FAITH was a true book of my heart--I woke one morning with that execution scene (the first scene, you can read it in any online preview) in my head and just couldn't get Sarah's character out of my mind.

I'm thrilled that you enjoyed it!

David wrote: "I have only started reading your books this year and have finished 3 of them so still have a lot more to go. How long does it actually take to write a book including the research time. Do you have ..."

Hi David! Thanks for stopping by!

That's actually a really tough question to answer because sometimes I'm constrained by how long I have to write a book by my publisher deadlines--lately I've had as little as three months, but never more than six months, which really curtails things if I find a last minute nugget of research I want to pursue or think of a new plot twist but the deadline is looming.

I often work on more than one book at a time--researching one book while writing another or editing in the afternoon and writing in the morning. I do pretty much "work" everyday but it's not always about putting words on the page, often it's about talking to people or digging deep into my characters or sketching out new plot ideas.

Inspiration is great when it hits and I never ignore it, but you can't sit around waiting for inspiration--not if you have deadlines and readers clamoring for more books, now!