My plan was to have
the second part of Kelly Lyman’s interview posted yesterday but, just like our
Featured Author of the Month, I have 4 kids (ranging from 8 months old to 13
years) and life at our house is pretty chaotic at the best of times – since Christmas
it’s been about 7 steps past that. So, my plans did not go quite according to
how I intended them and here we are. It’s all good though, and honestly that is
simply life. Or my life anyways, LOL!
In this second part of
Kelly’s interview I asked her several more questions about writing – not the
process or her routine, but the actual content of what she puts in to words. She
dived in to writing in a genre after all that is not just putting words to
paper and using your imagination to make those words interesting to other
people too. Historical romance, like any historical fiction requires more – it requires
a great deal of historical fact, or at least the writer’s understanding of the historical
facts to make the story possible and believable. We touch on this a bit here,
but Kelly will also share more about it in her guest post later this week.
THE INTERVIEW – Part 2
[italicized = LDF // regular = Kelly Lyman]
You just recently released your debut novel…
How did that feel on release day?
Amazing. Terrifying. Unreal. I had ALL the feels! I had been working
toward publication for eight years. Eight years! This particular book for three
years. I still can’t believe it. I kept smiling all day long. Actually, I’m
still smiling. There were days when I thought I should hang up my dream…but I’m
a determined sort of person. I don’t believe in giving up, especially if it is
something you really want.
Why did you choose historical romance? And why
(or how) did you choose the historical era that you did?
Historical romance chose me! I was stuck on a YA story I had been
drafting. The plot wasn’t coming to me. I was having trouble finding the main
character’s voice and whatnot. I was on the web researching a topic for this YA
story when I stumbled upon an article about the Culper Spy Ring and from
there, I fell down the rabbit hole.
The Petticoat Letters
just sort of happened…the subject found me. Since I was stuck on the YA story,
I decided to investigate this other topic and write something totally different
hoping it would “unlock” my creativity and help “unblock” my mind. I had never
written an adult book before, nor had I written historical, or romance…so…I
decided I would try my hand at all three and challenge myself, keeping in mind
this book was for me. I thought I would be the only person to read it.
I was wrong. Three months later, I had written 132k words and was in
love my characters and the story. I showed it to my critique partner and the
rest is history.
Is The Petticoat Letters a stand-alone
novel or is it just the first in a series?
The Petticoat Letters
is the first book in a series. As of now, I only have one more book planned
(but we’ll see!).
What else are you working on? What comes next?
I’m currently drafting book 2 (no title yet!) and I have two YA books
that I’m looking to publish. I also have a regency story that is almost
finished!
As a newly published author what is one thing
that you wish you had known before your book was released that you do know now?
This is a hard question!
There is SO much that I’m learning every single day in this business. If
I had to name one thing it would be that I never realized how much time
marketing and promotion would take. There are some days where I feel as if I
spend my 2.5 hours promoting the book and not writing. Since I tend to be an
introvert, it takes a ton of courage for me to do all this promotion. And since
I’m brand new and trying to find readers, it takes more time because I need to
establish myself.
That being said, it has been fun getting to know people. The
writing/reading community is awesome. Everyone is so supportive, and we really
do cheer each other on. I have been so blessed and still can’t believe the book
of my heart is out for the world to read.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I mentioned
earlier, writing any type of historical fiction requires an immense
understanding of the era that you chose to write within. I have to really
admire the writers who choose to write historical fiction – for whatever reason
– and I hope that like me, you look forward to what Kelly has to say when we’re
back later this week to share her guest post and an “in-her-own-words” Part 3 of her author interview.
Now I always ask a few
quick and silly but fun questions. I wasn’t going to include them this time
around because the way I’m sharing this author interview is different. But…
well, I’m a sucker for the “what if” questions in life – those things that you
dream about happening and what would you do if they did – so I guess I couldn’t
not share Kelly’s responses to those
inquires. Enjoy!
When you were a kid what did you want to be when
you grew up?
I wanted to be on the stage. Broadway baby! I grew up singing and
dancing and I loved being on stage. I first majored in music but switched to
regular education and minored in music instead. I still perform with a local
community chorus.
If you could go anywhere in the world on an
all-expenses paid vacation, where would you want to go?
I’ve always wanted to go to Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and England….so a
trip to the UK!
If someone gifted you $1,000,000 tomorrow, name
three things you would do with it?
Pay off my house, invest the money for my children to have later, take
my whole family on vacation somewhere.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you’ve enjoyed
learning a bit more about Kelly and her writing. Make sure you keep an eye out
this week because not only will her guest post on releasing a debut novel be on
the blog, but I’ll also be sharing my review of that debut novel The
Petticoat Letters as well.
I do have one question
for you though… Have you entered to win a copy of The Petticoat Letters yet?
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Happy reading all!!
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