Hello Black Words-White Pages fans and thank you for stopping by!! Ready to meet another Sleuthing Woman Author? Today we are featuring Lynn Cahoon!! Click on her name to follow her on Facebook!!
Now to get on with the interview!!
Lynn Cahoon
What is the first book that made you cry? –
GONE WITH THE WIND. Rhett should have saved her. LOL
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Energize.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Energy. If I’m tired, I can’t write.
Have you ever gotten reader’s block?
I’ve gone without reading, but it makes me grumpy. I don’t watch a lot of television because I want a bigger story. And I get that with books.
What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
I have a lot of author friends. Laura Bradford took me under her wing when I was just starting out. Angie Fox is a great sounding board on all things indie. Megan Kelly is an amazing editor (she has a business) and keeps me on track when I fall off. Susan McBride who showed me how to treat readers with grace and love. And so many more…
Reader?
I’m always amazed at the community around the cozy world. Warm, welcoming, and willing to help get the word out about your books. I could start naming people but I’d probably forget someone.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
The tiger. Sleek, powerful, and cuddly. And I’d really like to purr when I’m content.
What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?
None of my characters are totally based on real people. The good guys are always a mesh of people, the same with the villains.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have? Good question. I have one romance that may never see the light of day unless I just re-write it. I have a romance series that book 1 is done and waiting for me to self-publish. I have the fourth book in The Council (a witchcraft series I publish under Lynn Collins) started. I have a start of a woman’s fiction/paranormal that keeps nagging at me. And I have a thriller series that I’m going to write at least a partial this summer as my treat for getting my cozy books done. Yes, I know how to party.
Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice?
Not really. I see it as the thing I was supposed to do in this world. More than a career, a calling I guess.
What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
Not getting them over the top. Especially my villains.
How many hours a day do you write?
Probably two at most. If I have a day off from the day job, I try to write in the morning and do promotion in the afternoon. Sunday’s a free for all.
Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction?
Everything I read makes me think. 😊 As a reader, I love series because I want to know what’s happening with the characters.
How do you select the names of your characters?
It’s hard. I need to get better at it. I look at baby books. Write down cool names when I hear them. Like I’m using Cade for my hero in this Thriller book I’m writing this summer. I don’t know her name yet. Something frilly that she hates so she has a short version.
If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?
Everything? I wanted to be a lawyer. I loved working at a non-profit as a grant writer. I sometimes want to work at a cool retail shop. Good thing I’m a writer cuz I can do all of those jobs in my head.
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
I used to more. Now, it’s a glance and go. When I see a bad one, I figure my books weren’t her cup of tea. The only bad ones that get me are when I’m pretty sure it’s another author/writer. We need to be kind to each other. None of us win if we don’t.
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
No, but it’s a good idea.
What was your hardest scene to write?
Sex scenes. Which is why I don’t write steamy romance. I shudder when I have to write tab a goes into slot b.
What one thing would you give up to become a better writer? Definitely not sleep. But I’d give up the day job anytime. I just need the money to do it. Anyone want to give me a lifetime grant to replace the funding?
What is your favorite childhood book?
A WRINKLE IN TIME.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
Finding time to write.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
Two to three months.
Who are some of your favorite authors?
Stephen King, Robyn Carr, Richard Bach, Katherine Kurtz. My tastes are wide and not genre specific.
Who are some authors in your genre that inspire you?
Mollie Cox McBride, Maggie Sefton, Susan McBride
What are some great books you’ve read recently?
WALK INTO SILENCE – Susan McBride, DARK IN DEATH - JD Robb (Best in the series)
What types of books do you enjoy in your downtime?
A good story. I have such a wide assortment, it’s hard to list one.
What sort of research did you do to write this book?
For KILLER GREEN TOMATOES, I did a lot of research into the Idaho based Basque community.
How did you come up with the idea for your book?
Settings. They lead me to the story. For Tourist Trap it was an old house on the central California coast. For Farm to Fork – it’s my hometown. Cat Latimer was probably the only series where the heroine came first – An author who gets the Victorian back when her ex husband dies.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
I write in chunks unless I’m off from the day job. Then I write in the morning. 1000 words, then a house cleaning break. 1000 works, and another break. If I’m working the day job, I write in 15-30 minute chunks until I hit 2000 words.
What is the main thing you want readers to take away from your book?
You can make the family you want even if you weren’t born into one.
If your novel were being made into a movie, whom would you pick to play the lead roles?
I always saw Jill (Tourist Trap) as Sandra Bullock and Greg as Matthew Mcconaughey.
Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
No outlining, except for a general chapter bullet list of what should happen. Sometimes I even follow it.
What do you do in your free time when you aren’t writing?
Play with my husband – we have a side by side we like to take on new trails.
Do you put yourself in your books/characters at all?
I’m in all of them at some time. 😊
What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
Last summer I was at the RWA literary signing and a local reader drove the two hours to get to the signing to tell me what the Tourist Trap books had meant to him during his father’s hospice time. He made me cry.
Out of all the books you’ve written, do you have a favorite?
What are your top three favorite books of all time? Illusions - Richard Bach, The Stand – Stephen King, Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle.
Angie Turner hopes her new farm-to-table restaurant can be a fresh start in her old hometown in rural Idaho. But when a goat dairy farmer is murdered, Angie must turn the tables on a bleating black sheep . . .
With three weeks until opening night for their restaurant, the County Seat, Angie and her best friend and business partner Felicia are scrambling to line up local vendors—from the farmer's market to the goat dairy farm of Old Man Moss. Fortunately, the cantankerous Moss takes a shine to Angie, as does his kid goat Precious. So when Angie hears the bloodcurdling news of foul play at the dairy farm, she jumps in to mind the man's livestock and help solve the murder. One thing's for sure, there's no whey Angie's going to let some killer get her goat . . .
Praise for Lynn Cahoon's Tourist Trap Mysteries
“Murder, dirty politics, pirate lore, and a hot police detective: Guidebook to Murder has it all! A cozy lover’s dream come true.”
—Susan McBride, author of The Debutante Dropout Mysteries
“Lynn Cahoon has created an absorbing, good fun mystery in Mission to Murder.”
—Fresh Fiction
Thank you so much, Lynn, for stopping by and letting us get to know you!! This has been a lot of fun!! To know more about this author and her books starting on June 12, 2018, join the Facebook group HERE!!! There will be takeovers and lots of fun things to come!!
Wonderful questions and love Lynns answers ! Peggy clayton
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