To celebrate 13 weeks of winter, Hàlön Chronicles is conducting one interview a week for 13 weeks. We’re also partnering with other sites and artists to bring a fuller, richer experience to our readers.
Join us on the hashtag #13Winterviews, or check out this season’s articles:
Welcome to the Season | Winterviews Partners | 2019 Blog Hop | Book Pairings | Winterviews & Solstice Eve
This week on Winterviews we travel into a world of mirrors and memories as we say hello to Talynn Lynn.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I grew up in a small town in Indiana but now live in Kentucky. I’m the mother of six children (Yes, I said six!) I homeschooled everyone of them. I have two children living at home and the oldest is about to graduate, but this year, my youngest decided she wanted to go to “real school” and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. She loves it and I have more time to write. It’s a win/win situation. I got my start writing professionally as a ghost writer for a celebrity writing children’s books, editing books and blog posts and creating art for the blog and magazine articles. After that, I worked as an editor for children’s books published on the Android platform. I had two books published with the same publisher. Unfortunately, the platform was discontinued, and I switched to being literary agent intern, and worked in marketing for a small independent publisher. Now, I write full time, and own and operate a small construction company.
What types of books do you write, and why?
I love young adult books and that’s the age category I write in. I’ve written fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, and contemporary. My favorite of these genres is fantasy and science fiction. I love getting lost in the world of make believe and imagination and coming up with unique and fun ideas. Fairytales would be my favorite niche and if I could write the next big fairytale, I’d be in heaven! Why? My love for stories started at a young age. My great uncle would sit me on his knee and tell me the funniest, most engaging stories ever. He’d tell me fairytales, but he’d always mix up the stories and I’d beg for more. Little Red Pig? No, uncle! It’s Little Red Hood and The Three Little Pigs!! I always collapsed in giggles. These stories sparked a love for making fantasy a reality and I’ve never forgotten how much he inspired me.
What were your early influences, and how does this manifest in your work today?
Not only did my uncle inspire with make-believe, but my family history and searching for my family tree really inspired me. I learned my family has Native American ancestry, and a great great grandfather who had two families (at the same time, mind you) Way back when a family member who was a privateer rescued a woman from indentured servitude, married her, brought her to America and was the only family member to live through the American Revolutionary War, who then moved to the Eastern hills of Kentucky, where my family was established. See, so much fodder for story!!
Are there aspects of the craft that excite you more than others?
Revisions are hard for me. Always has been. When it comes to writing, I can whip out a story easy peasy. Mind you, I didn’t say good story, but the words flow easy. Yes, I have writers block often, but when compared to revising, writing the story is much easier. Now, if I have specific revision notes, and I’m able to tackle them a little at a time, I can revise like a pro. But something in me gets overwhelmed when I see a big picture overhaul. I’m really not sure why, but I’m one of those writes who needs my pages perfected before I move on to the next page. I don’t mean perfected as in ready to publish. Minor fixes can be done without overwhelming me. I mean the whole picture in general. To me, there’s nothing like the feeling of a fresh new story idea taking shape while molding and creating characters to push the story forward. I love it, and that will never get old!
What books or websites are your go-to places while editing?
When I fist started writing, Holly Lisle’s Create a Plot (Character, Culture, World) series inspired me to write and create. When I first discovered her books, I was in a place I couldn’t purchase physical books. Her material was available for immediate download and that’s what caught my attention. Her material inspired me because I’m hands on, and she used scrapbooks, drawings, maps, and actual physical ideas to get your creative juices flowing. I loved them! After I was able to buy books, The Plot Whisperer was my go to plot writing fixes. Her work is amazing. I recommend both these authors if you are struggling with creating plot and characters.
Tell us about your writing space.
Nothing to see here, actually! At the moment, I’m sitting in my bed typing this up. I’ve always wanted my own writing space. But as I mentioned earlier, I’ve been a homeschool mom. So the extra room in our house was a school room. Chalkboards, desks, bookshelves, lockers, the whole nine yards! But with the homeschool journey coming to an end, the school room is in the middle of redecoration and I’ve already claimed it as my room. My office. My writing space. I’m so excited and can’t wait to finish it. But first, the rest of the house is in the middle of remodel, and the least important rooms must be last in line. So I patiently decorate and gather ideas for my space. Sometimes I listen to music when I’m writing, especially if I’m writing a particularly difficult scene or something I’ve never written before. If you ever hear me playing the Phantom of the Opera, you know I’m in serious editing mode! Usually, no snacks are needed, and I drink coffee, Dr Pepper, water, and sometimes tea while writing.
Tell us about your current WIP.
Evie Jael is a memory assassin.
With her magical gift, she can control memories. She can erase them, manipulate them, or hold them for ransom. Evie despises this skill, but she’s forced to use it, tricked into believing the memory manipulation leads to a better quality of life.
When her sister disappears after Evie steals the memory of high ranking Elite, she’s determined to find her. Disaster strikes when the stolen memories escape their new master’s mind, looking for their true home, wreaking chaos through what’s real life and what’s created by the false memories. Memories that get lost turn into live monsters, devouring everyone in their path.
Now Evie must battle her way through the blurry delusions and rescue her sister before she’s consumed by the monsters. But if she kills the wrong memories, she’ll annihilate her sister’s true identity. And there’s a thin line between truth and reality.
Because some memories you want to live over and over again. But some memories are best forgotten.
Talynn stays busy writing whenever her nose isn’t glued to a book. She also enjoys playing the piano, writing songs, and decorating her house like it’s going to be featured on HGTV. Her first and favorite passion has always been her family, and when she’s not too busy wrangling them all over the country or tracking them down across Europe, she’s happy piddling around home, thinking up the next best seller.
Connect with Talynn: Twitter
Don’t forget to check out this year’s Winterviews and Partners. You can also subscribe to this blog and be the first to know when new content is released.
Awesome interview, Talynn! Looking forward to your reading your work!