An Interview by Jonathon LaMella

Tommie Lyn has made her home in the beautiful Florida panhandle for almost 35 years. Her husband of 49 years (and high school sweetheart) retired from the Navy after being transferred there from Okinawa in 1975. Three of her novels and some of her short stories are set in the panhandle.

An avid reader since childhood, she began writing fiction four years ago and writes short stories and novels in a variety of genres: historical, mystery/suspense, supernatural thriller and mainstream fiction. Currently, a showcase of short stories is freely available for readers on her website. Three of her novels are available for purchase from Amazon.com.

Encouraging other writers is important to her. In order to provide that encouragement, she maintains membership in writers’ groups. She’s been a member of the local Panhandle Writers Group for two years and is a member of online writers’ groups as well. 

 

Hi Tommie, tell us about your novel The Sands of Santa Rosa. What’s the story about?

 

It’s about Cotton Chastain and his gift of the Second Sight. When an oil spill occurs in the Gulf of Mexico, Cotton has visions about it, which ultimately lead him to save the life of little five-year-old Sara Sands.

 

How did you get started as a writer?

 

I learned some things about Scotland’s history that are not common knowledge in the United States. I thought someone should write it as fiction so people would learn about it, since most people won’t pick up a history book but will read entertaining fiction. I tried to get others to write it, but no one would. So I wrote it. That first novel is High on a Mountain.

 

Why did you write The Sands of Santa Rosa?

 

It was time for NaNoWriMo. I mentioned I’d be writing a novel during the month of November, and a cousin’s husband said, “Why don’t you write about an oil spill?” So, an oil spill was the starting point, and The Sands of Santa Rosa grew from that.

 

What do you want readers to get from reading The Sands of Santa Rosa?

 

That our actions can have far-reaching, unintended consequences.

 

How did you get ideas for the main characters or character?

 

I don’t know that I have specific ideas for my characters…they just sort of introduce themselves to me when I begin writing. I learn about them as I write.

 

Did you identify with your characters? Is there anything that you have in common with them? Was there anything about them that was hard to write?

 

Most of the time, my characters are different from me, and I have little in common with them. I haven’t been through the trials they face, but I live those trials through my characters, and sometimes, it’s hard to get through wrenching moments they face.

 

What was your inspiration for writing The Sands of Santa Rosa ?

 

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was a main topic of local conversation when I was preparing to write Sands, and although the story turned out to be nothing like the actual event, that event could have been the inspiration the story grew from.

 

What do you look for in a book?

 

I want a book that will grab me, involve me emotionally, keep me turning pages. I enjoy mysteries and thrillers (but not gory thrillers).

 

What is your favorite novel?

 

My favorite novel of all time isThe Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter. I find myself re-reading it periodically. Which is a puzzlement, since it’s not a mystery or thriller.

 

What inspires you as an Author? Where do you go to find inspiration?

 

I go to the “what if?” question to find inspiration for stories. My imagination has always worked overtime, and I’ve always found myself asking: what if? I’m thankful I can finally put that habit to a useful purpose.

 

What advice do you have for beginning writers?

 

Don’t get discouraged. When you read your first efforts, you may be tempted to compare them with published books you’ve enjoyed reading. But if you do that, your writing may seem woefully inadequate. You have to realize that a story goes through many, many edits and adjustments before publication, and it didn’t start out polished.

 

One other thing: brush up on grammar and spelling. Words are the tools a writer uses to convey the images in his/her mind to the mind of a reader. You must be proficient in the tools of your trade so that transfer of your images is not impaired.

 

Where did you get the idea for your novel The Sands of Santa Rosa ?

 

My cousin’s husband suggest that I write about an oil spill, since the gulf oil spill was a topic on everyone’s minds at the time.

 

Have any of your characters demanded more page space than you had originally planned?

 

I don’t usually plan my stories. I usually start with a situation or a character, and as I write, the story that develops is usually as much of a discovery and a surprise to me as reading someone else’s story.

 

With that said, when I was writing The Sands of Santa Rosa, Cotton Chastain drove to the beach, was looking at the water, and I assumed he was about to contemplate the reason for his intuitive feelings about the oil spill. But instead, a little girl started talking to him. Totally blindsided me. And she became a main thread through the story.

 

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

 

Read. Write. Edit. Read some more. Write some more.

 

Has researching for a novel ever got you into any funny situations?

As a writer, who are your main influences?

 

A few months ago, I went to the Chief Vann House gift shop outside Chatsworth, Georgia to buy copies of the writings of Moravian missionaries who lived among the Cherokees in the early 1800s, doing research for Across the Wide River, which will include the Trail of Tears. I began a conversation with the lady who rung up my purchases, and we discovered we were distant cousins, descended from a Cherokee family.

 

As far as my main influences, I hesitate to name them, lest anyone should think I compare myself to them in any way…but, I think Norah Lofts, Sharyn McCrumb and Dean Koontz have probably been the biggest influences on my writing.

 

What is the best part about being an author?

 

Getting to visit new places and people…in my imagination.

 

And the worst?

 

The physical inactivity. I have to force myself to stop writing, get up and move, get some exercise.

 

What books have you recently read and loved?

 

The Day of Small Things by Vicki Lane. Loved it. I gave it 5 stars only because there was not a 6 star option.

 

In your opinion, what will people enjoy most about this book?

 

I hope they will, as I do, enjoy a smile at the antics of little Sara Sands, and I hope they will be inspired by Cotton Chastain’s self-sacrificial attitude as he tries to do right by others.

 

How did you feel the first time you starting writing the book? What thoughts were running through your mind?

 

I usually feel excited when I start a new story. It’s a little like visiting an amusement park and riding a roller coaster for the first time…lots of fun—chills and thrills— ahead.

 

 What can your readers expect next from you? What do you have planned for the future?

 

My next novel, Windows of the Soul, is in the editing phase now. It’s another Cotton Chastain novel. After that, I’ll work on completing the next novel in my historical series about the Ailean MacLachlainn family, Across the Wide River.

 

 Are you on Twitter or Facebook? Do you have a website? Is there more info about The Sands of Santa Rosa ?

 

Yes, I’m on Twitter: @TommieLyn, and I’m on Facebook: Tommie Lyn. My website is: http://tommielyn.com – and there’s a sample of The Sands of Santa Rosa posted on my website at this time.

 

Thanks so much for doing this interview. It’s been great to be able to talk to you and hear what you have to say about this new film that you’re in. I hope to talk to you again the future.

 

Thank you so much for the invitation to be interviewed. I’ve enjoyed it.

 

An Interview by Jonathon LaMella

Brayden Hirsch is a teenage writer from Vancouver, British Columbia. His experience with stories goes back to his childhood, when his grandfather set him on his knee and told him of his adventures as a touring musician. Hirsch delights in crafting stories that keep readers poised on their seats much the same way his grandfather’s stories did for him. His role models include Raymond Chandler, Alfred Hitchcock, and Frank Capra.

When he’s not thinking up thrilling stories in well-lit rooms, Brayden spends his time enjoying his friends and family. His other interests include classic movies, watching football, drinking coffee, and taking advantage.

 

Hi Brayden, tell us about your novel “Shadow Catalyst” What’s the story about?

 

Shadow Catalyst is a collection of five short thrillers with a paranormal twist. See braydenhirsch.com, or the Amazon or Barnes and Noble pages, for short summaries of each.

 

How did you get started as a writer?

 

I don’t suppose there is any particular way to “start” other than to pick up the pen or sit down at the keyboard and simply begin. Since my early childhood I’ve really loved entertaining people – writing is just another outlet for me to do that.

 

Why did you write “Shadow Catalyst”?

 

To be honest, I wrote it because they asked me to – my publisher, Steward House Publishing in Seattle. A couple of the story ideas had arisen before they asked me to, but I’d never taken the time to actually sit down and pursue them if not for the contract for the novel. Paranormal suspense is definitely not my first love, but I had a ton of fun writing the collection and, from what I’ve heard so far, people are having a ton of fun reading it.

 

What do you want readers to get from reading ‘Shadow Catalyst?”

 

I think that if readers can manage to simply enjoy this one, that’d be great. Some projects of mine are meant to make readers think while entertaining them, but as for Shadow Catalyst, it’s the kind of novel best read with a light heart. If readers can walk away from it smiling, I’m satisfied.

 

How did you get ideas for the main characters or character?

 

I made them up. It’s far too dangerous to base your characters on people you know and so on. I suppose that indirectly, all characters are extrapolations of my own personality, because when I write I always try to “get into the skin” of the characters, but I don’t think of them as parts of me. That’s an awfully disturbing thought, especially when some of them turn out to be psychopaths.

 

You recently signed a contract with Ken Sherman and Associates, a literary agency out of Los Angeles. How has this affected your career as a novelist? What was the first thought that crossed your mind when you were offered a contract from the agency?

 

It’s wonderful to have someone to work alongside, such as Ken. I’m very pleased and have been since when he offered the contract, and am looking forward to furthering my career as a storyteller with him.

 

What do you look for in a book?

 

Firstly, entertainment value. If the writer is trying to be literary, I probably don’t like it. If the writer is writing to entertain, there’s a better chance of me liking it. Secondly, I do like a novel that says something somewhat profound about the human condition, about life in general. But I think that shouldn’t be the sole purpose of a novel. The purpose must be to entertain.

 

 

What inspires you as an Author? Where do you go to find inspiration?

 

I am inspired by my fears. I don’t go anywhere, really. I stay in my room – I think that a writer must be able to write under any circumstance. Ian Fleming took a few months in Jamaica every year to write his Bond novels. That’s great, I suppose, when you’re Ian Fleming, but for normal people on a budget, we have to be able to write wherever, whenever, and find inspiration either way.

 

What advice do you have for beginning writers?

 

1. Know your craft. Learn it. Go to workshops, study certain authors you like and want to be like. See what they did right. I think that a writer can write well without much inspiration at all, if he knows what makes a great story.
2. Get scared. I have a list that is two pages long of “Things That Terrify Me.” This list includes specific things, such as heights or open water or taxi drivers, and more broader ideas. When I need a new idea, I read my list. A writer, of any genre, writes best when they are writing about what scares them.

   

Has researching for a novel ever got you into any funny situations?

 

No. As a novel I don’t overthink factual accuracy. I try. I do some research, but I don’t worry about it. But I mean, it’s fiction. I’m allowed to make stuff up, now and then, aren’t I?

 

As a writer, who are your main influences?

 

Raymond Chandler, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Agatha Christie, Frank Capra and, most of all, Alfred Hitchcock.

 

It seems that more and more adult readers are finding their way to YA books. Why do you think that is?

 

That’s a complicated question. I think there are many reasons – people are becoming, and I hate to say this, less intelligent than they used to be and even an adult reader will often take to a YA novel because it is “easier,” but I also think that there’s been a decrease of solid adult novels in the industry. The mainstream market has produced several good novels, recently, but if you ask me, the thriller genre in particular has been bogged down by so much of the same material. I, for one, would rather read something unique like Suzanne Collins than another Grisham legal thriller. It’s fresher.

 

What is the best part about being an author?

 

Seeing the looks on peoples’ faces, when they tell you they really enjoyed your novel, or that they almost died from the suspense.

 

And the worst?

 

Seeing the look on peoples’ faces, when they tell you they hated every page of it.

 

What books have you recently read and loved?

 

Anything Raymond Chandler. I’ve always enjoyed his work. It’s pulp fiction written in a sensational voice that, as I hinted at before, reveals a little something about the human condition.

 

In your opinion, what will people enjoy most about this book?

 

If the novel does its work and the testimonials I’ve received so far are true, then it’s the fast-paced nature of Shadow Catalyst that will carry readers to the very last page, wanting more. I think perhaps author Jon Land put it nicely, summing Shadow Catalyst up better than I can: “a blood-curdling, white knuckle joy ride that’s like climbing onto a roller-coaster and waiting for the bottom to drop out.”

 

What can your readers expect next from you? What do you have planned for the future?

 

Currently I am at work on another book, a full-length thriller, which will be handled by Ken. In my screenwriting, I am also experimenting with other forms of storytelling, particularly screenwriting. It’s up to God where I go from here.

 

Are you on Twitter or Facebook? Do you have a website? Is there more info about Shadow Catalyst?

 

Twitter: www.twitter.com/braydenhirsch

Facebook: www.facebook.com/brayden.hirsch

Website: www.braydenhirsch.com

 

Thanks so much for doing this interview. It’s been great to be able to talk to you and hear what you have to say about Shadow Catalyst and the writing process. I hope to talk to you again the future.

Interviewed and Written by Jonathan Lamella

First, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to do this interview. I’m very excited to find out more about you and your debut novel, “Winter.” Tell us about yourself.

Thanks for having me. I’m a graduate student at the New Orleans Baptist Seminary, working on an MA in Theology, specializing in Supernatural Theology. I’m married to my best friend and have two amazing children.Winter is my first published book. I have a short story published in Digital Dragon Magazine and one published at the New Authors Fellowship…both of which will be featured in an upcoming short story anthology being produced by Splashdown Books, featuring stories from all the SB authors. I also have a critical essay published at TheOneRing.net. Links to all of those can be found on my website. I’m also the founder of the New Authors Fellowship. And the one thing people might not expect, but is a big part of my life, is that my bachelor’s degree is in music. In fact, I’ve composed and orchestrated for piano, voice, choir, and even wrote and recorded my own music in the promo trailer for Winter.

 

So tell us about your new novel “Winter” I love the cover. Very mysterious.

What should I talk about first? The cover or the book? Winter is about a Goth Christian who discovers she has the gift of prophecy. At its most basic, it is a story about God’s redemption and restoration of a broken life. There are two story lines: the first shows us Winter’s freshmen year of college, where she’s growing in God and learning to accept his call. She eventually has to face her fears by confronting a Satanic priest in order to save everything she loves about her new life. The second story line shows her freshmen year of high school, where she has to cope with the slow death of her mother, leading to her decline into the Goth subculture and experimentation with witchcraft. These stories are intertwined and parallel, giving you a composite look at the fall and restoration of Winter 

Now for the cover. The talented Holly Heisey put it together for me, based on a concept I pitched to her using an old Japanese horror movie poster as a reference. My talented wife, who’s a phenomenal photographer (www.newsomecreative.net), took the subject photograph…who happens to be the actress in the promo trailer.

 

How did you get started as a writer?

This is becoming one of my favorite questions to answer, and I hope the story doesn’t get old! I began writing at age eleven. My first story was fan-fic of a fantasy RPG video game I was totally into at the time (the original Dragon Warrior for NES). I hand wrote about three pages in pseudo King James English. Why? Because that’s what the video game used, of course. At the time, I was mostly into art and music, but I found that my drawings had stories that needed to be written. By high school, I couldn’t not write any more.

Why did you write “Winter”?

Why do you drink water? Why do you breathe air? I wrote Winter because I had to. I couldn’t help it. I’m a writer. So I write.

 

What do you want readers to get from reading ‘Winter?”

The message of Winter is two fold. First, I wanted readers to see that there’s hope. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in your past or what your mistakes are, God can still accept you and use you. This book at its most basic is about Winter’s life…her decline and redemption. That’s the core of this whole series. The reader gets to see all the mistakes she made in high school, but at the same time how God is using her and changing her in college. It’s never too late to reconcile to God. And most importantly…though it may feel otherwise, God never gives up on you regardless what you may think.

What was your inspiration for writing “Winter?”

A question I get often, that goes along with this, is Why Goth? I knew immediately that I wanted to not only show the gift of prophecy, but to try to show what an Old Testament prophet might look like today. As is pointed out in the book, there’s a difference between having the gift of prophecy and actually being a prophet. Prophets do more than just have visions and dreams…and so does Winter.

But beyond that, and wanted the character to reflect someone God Himself would choose. In the Bible, God almost always chose the least likely. He chose the person no one would expect…certainly the religious astute would never expect them. He chose people like murderers, prostitutes, pagans, ect. And he transformed their lives into something amazing. Why? Because the most unusable of us are the ones who bring God the most glory when used.

In today’s society, what type of person would everyday Christians least likely expect God to use? How about a Goth girl, with a face full of piercings, a chip on her shoulder, and experience dabbling in witchcraft.

Do Gothic Christians really exist? If so, have you talked to them? How did you research them?

Of course they exist. It’s funny how so many Christians can’t seem to reconcile the two together. They think that all Goths are Satanic or Wiccan. But it’s not like that. Goth is not a religion, it’s a lifestyle…a personality type that most people don’t get because they don’t take the time to talk to them. Goth’s are usually more in tune with spiritual matters and the mortality of man than anyone else, and I think Christians could learn a lot from them. Have I talked to them? There is no “them.” They’re people, just like you and me. My research came from my own experience. When I was in high school, there were no Goths. But I was in the group that would have been. And I was a Christian. Several of us were.

Christians should stop getting so hung-up on appearances and spend more time ministering to the inner person. That’s all the really counts in God’s eyes.

 

Why do you think readers are so attracted to super natural fantasy, especially teenagers?

Because they want answers. We are all attracted to supernatural things because it’s real. We can’t help but be attracted to it. But the truth about supernatural things doesn’t often get taught. And so people fantasize about these things, and come up with fantastic tales of what they think or might want the supernatural to look like. Ghost hunting shows abound now. Vampire books and movies are only just the latest fad in supernatural entertainment. Just a few years ago it was haunting type movies. Remember Goosebumps? This stuff has been around forever. There will always be a fascination with the supernatural, because we are supernatural beings. What the church needs to do is provide some sound Biblical teaching about the supernatural world. That’s what young people are hungry for. Answers. And that’s why I’m specializing in supernatural theology.

 

What do you look for in a book?

I’m actually very picky over books. I look for great stories. But to be a great story, you need more than just an awesome plot or memorable characters…you need an awesome story. To me, a story transcends the elements put into the book. It’s something deeper and meaningful. It’s that thing that makes you slowly close a book and sigh. It makes you think about life in a way you’ve never done before. That’s what I want in a book…and great books like that are hard to find.

What is your favorite novel?

Picking one favorite novel is difficult to do. But I’ve maintained the same book as my #1 for many years. The Hero and the Crown, by Robin McKinley. It’s a stand alone fantasy, featuring a female lead in an ever-increasing epic battle. In a genre dominated by the use of a ginormous series, it’s refreshing to still read something that can stand on its own.

To see the rest of my top ten…go here. http://newauthors.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/kevens-top-10-favorite-books/

 

What inspires you as an Author? Where do you go to find inspiration?

Life inspires me. I try to write with a very real, relatable style. That’s because I feel a good story should be so relatable that it becomes a part of your life. I find inspiration in everything things, so that I can relate those small things in the same way I experienced them.

As far as story content goes…what can I say? I’m a day-dreamer. I don’t get inspiration from one source. It comes through music, books, Bible study, everyday life, my children, my wife, my work, movies. I’ll experience something that will spark a question or idea…and then it just grows from there.

I call myself a “crock-pot” writer. Because ideas slow cook in my head for months or years even, until they’re ready. Then I can write. Right now? No less than three books are in the crock pot.

 

What advice do you have for beginning writers?

Write. Write. Write. If you want to be a writer, you have to write. It takes years of practice. Sitting around thinking about writing or talking about it or studying it, does you no good if you’re not applying it. That’s the number one thing. Write. And the number two thing is read. Read books in the genre you want to write. Find writers whose style you enjoy and who you wish to emulate. Devour there words. And then write your own.

Don’t forget to hone your craft. Assume every other writer is better than you, and learn from them. Find some books on self-editing and plot development. Get a mentor.

But you must write.

 

Last question. What can your fans expect next?

Well, the first thing they can expect is to see me in Splashdown Book’s upcoming short story anthology Aquasynthesis. In it you’ll find two of my short stories and a deleted scene from Winter.

Next fall of 2012 I’m planning to release the second book in the Winter series. I’m working on it hard and heavy as we speak. This book takes everything everyone loves from the first book and multiplies it by at least ten.

 

Contact information:

kevennewsome.com

www.facebook.com/thewordcrafter

http://www.twitter.com/kevennewsome

www.youtube.com/kevennewsome