MY SUNDAY BRUNCH SPOTLIGHT
SHINES ON AUTHOR
LYNN LAWLER TODAY
SHINES ON AUTHOR
LYNN LAWLER TODAY
First and foremost, it is a pleasure to have you here. Welcome to Harper’s Sunday Brunch Interview!
So, can you tell us what makes Lynn Lawler tick? What got you started on the path to becoming an author?
A lot of hurts throughout my life have contributed to my story. Like a lot of people, I too had my hard spots in life. As a child I was bullied by my peers while the school turned their head, telling my mom that “teasing” was not a “real” problem. This contributed to the pain that I now write in my stories. Also I am the survivor of domestic abuse, something that took me many years to heal. Thankfully, I am over that and am living my life in a way that is more true to me. I incorporate many of my work history into my stories because am still healing from that. My dream to be an engineer like my dad, like one of my future characters, was washed away when I hit a wall with science. My character, Jackie from Enlightened Desire, was not bullied. I did not feel it would fit into this story.
One night I saw a documentary on the early twentieth century writer, Willa Cather. Willa, like me, was a free spirit and did not like to follow rules. Willa got a man’s haircut during a time where that was considered taboo. Like her I didn’t follow certain “rules” in the workplace which is why I was unable to really do much in the way of being of service. Like Jackie, I had problems focusing and working in a crunch. In Enlightened Desire, I write about Jackie at work and how she would let her mind fantasize.
I have found that like Willa, I need to follow the beat of my own drum and just do it. This is one of the reason’s why I like writing.
What are you currently working on? Would you care to share a snippet?
I am currently finishing up the editing for Enlightened Desire. Enlightened Desire is about a woman who thinks she has her life all figured out until she encounters a bizarre event. Suddenly oddities are her reality. Things that she used to ignore were now in her face. She cannot hide from her truth anymore. Then there is the lover who has her own agenda as well as the other who is wrecking havoc. What is sex crazed Jackie to do?
Here is an excerpt from the story:
The woman asked Jackie, while locking her eyes with Jackie, if she’d like a drink. Jackie said, “Yes.” The woman told her to hang tight and that she would be right back.
Slowly the woman turned around and walked up to the bar, wiggling her behind along the way. Jackie stared at her tight rear end and visualized what it would be like to put her hand up the woman's skirt and feel the soft skin of her derriere. Jackie held on to this thought until the woman returned, holding her drink in her right hand. Winking at Jackie, she gave her the drink and whispered in her ear seductively, “Follow me.”
Jackie took a large gulp of her drink and followed the woman, who led her to a dark corner. There she put her arms around Jackie, who was still holding her drink, and whispered, “I dare you,” into Jackie's ear.
Even though it was loud in the club, Jackie clearly heard what the woman had said. She felt herself salivating. It was obvious that the woman was making a pass at her, so she decided that the cards were now in her hands. Jackie began to move her hand up the woman's left leg.
Do you include some of your own personal experiences in your books or do you prefer to use your imagination?
Like mentioned above, I incorporate much of my personal experience into my stories. Many times when I’m describing the past of my characters, their experiences are the same ones I experienced. I find this to be healing as I am getting my pain out of my head and onto the paper in story form. Jackie, in Enlightened Desire, had restrictions while growing up. I too had restrictions in which there was pain that followed. Jackie had problems with her dad. So did I. In another story I have my character hearing a message while hiking. Many years ago, I too heard a message while I was hiking in Flagstaff. Like with my character, this one too was profound.
However much of it is from my imagination. In one story, I write about a woman who sent off an intention that was answered in a way that she did not want. She is now forced to live with her decision. She is living havoc. I need to have her go through some twists and turns before she is able to see the big picture. She experiences some things that I would never do. I used my imagination big time with this one and created events to increase the intensity of the drama in the story. These events were crucial to the story so that the reader really gets to see how messed up this woman was.
I need to also mention that a new love interest sends sparks into this woman’s life. Will it be enough for this woman to pick herself up and move forward with her life?
What genre do you typically write in and why did you choose this over others?
I generally write GLBT. I am a fan of The L Word and loved how the creator put drama with sex. I want my books to be like that. I have to have a good story surrounding the romance. My characters are sexual and sensual. They experience their sexuality to the max. My character, Jackie from Enlightened Desire, loves to take baths. I could not write a story without incorporating some loving in her tub. Jackie is spontaneous and will do what suits her mood. She does not see the big picture at all and wonders why things turn out the way they do.
Also I want to go one step further and have each of my main characters have a spiritual awakening. At the same time, many of them have psychic gifts. I love to write about dreams and visions and how they relate to our waking self. In one scene in Enlightened Desire, out of the blue Jackie witnesses a vision of a coworker while she was minding her own business. The vision got Jackie’s attention and afterwards she was disturbed. I too have had experiences of this. Like Jackie’s, my vision was odd. Unlike Jackie, I kept this vision alive for years to come afterwards for reasons unknown.
I believe that we all possess extrasensoratory abilities, some more than others. I have always been infatuated with ESP and have done a lot of research on it. It is fun to write about Jackie being able to touch something and see a vision. At the same time I did not want these psychic abilities to appear to be just random. They are all part of Jackie’s spiritual awakening.
Do you have a specific process or a ritual you go through when sitting down to write?
I really don’t have a certain ritual. I usually sit down and write. Many times I’ll get ideas when I’m out and about, so I’ll record them into my iPhone. I like to put on music while I’m writing. Sometimes I will play the same song over and over again, particularly if I’m on a roll and the song is triggering my creation. The song “Early in the Morning” by the Gap Band really shaped a lead character in my next story. I worked though the feeling of the story and literally felt this person’s feelings like they were my own. Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love,” also triggered my creativity for the story.
Where do you find your inspiration for your plots? Do you have any tricks of the trade you would care to share?
I have a vivid and wild imagination. My stories just come to me. As a child I would sit alone and let them come to me. I was a big fan of fantasy and would entertain myself for hours while directing my play of characters. As a child, I had a game that I played with my sister about a group of teens living their life in L.A., kind of like 90210. Unlike that show we did not have sex in our story. It was PG rated, but was fun to act out my players. I’d have my characters do fun things like going to the beach in their own car.
In school, I loved English classes since I got to do a lot of creative writing. In another future story, I am working out a pain I had with writing. Like my character, I too was humiliated by an English teacher in front of the whole class. Like my character, I shut down after that. Thankfully, I am over that now.
What is the oddest place/situation where an idea for a book/plot has come to you?
This year I got summoned for jury duty. While on break at the courthouse, I got some ideas on how to restructure part of a plot for a future story. I had my iPhone on me so I was able to jot down my ideas and then work on them when I got home.
What makes a book stand out and perk your interest?
Believe it or not, but sometimes it is as simple as a character’s name. Recently, I read a book in which this was true. As it turned out, I had used a name in a previous story. I was able to connect with this character immediately and to the author as we have something in common. It was fun to read about how her character ticked. It felt like I was meeting another woman named Lynn.
Books that get my interest are also ones that deal with the paranormal. I enjoy reading about oddities. My story, Enlightened Desire, has a lot of paranormal in it. Romance stories that involve a spiritual awakening also get my interest.
We all have our favorite authors. Can you share some of yours and tell us why you like them?
My favorite author of all time is Mary Higgins Clark. I like how she puts smart, strong women as her lead characters. Mary has always had this motherly appeal to me. She is someone who I can look up to, as I’m an author myself. If I’m not mistaken, she started writing later on in life. The message this sends me is that it is never too late to do the things we love. Like me, Mary puts feeling into her stories. My favorite book of hers is Remember Me. It has an old mystery in it and I believed that the place she was writing about was haunted when in fact it was not.
As a child I pretty much worshipped Judy Blume, as I had all of her books and had read them all many times. She spoke to me from the heart, and in her one book, Blubber, I really felt the pain of one of the characters. Her books always involved growth, something that I put into my stories.
We all have a pet peeve, care to share yours?
My biggest pet peeve is drivers who purposely run red lights. I don’t like to make left hand turns so this makes it harder for me when driving. However, I’m a big believer in being the example you want to see. With this in mind, I follow the road rules and don’t take risks. I want to show people my version of safety. Here one of my characters would take advantage of the situation to be of service. She would create a class for her children about the benefits of responsible driving. Like me, she likes to be a positive example.
Jackie in Enlightened Desire, unfortunately, could not do this. She would get mad and let it eat at her.
When you’re not writing, what are the things you enjoy doing to relax?
I love to spend my down time with my spouse and my cats. Other things that I enjoy are reading other GLBT authors, cooking, baking, baseball, playing Tomb Raider. Two books that I am currently reading are Crossroads by Dawn Carter and The Muse by Suzie Carr. Both of these books are f/f romance and are exciting. I am a slow reader and love to absorb what I am reading. Many times I write reviews and like to be descriptive with them. I take notes to use in my review. I will be reviewing both of these books so look out for my reviews.
Also, I am in the middle of writing 4 books (2 stories f/f romance) which I’m hoping to release next year. My first story is about a woman who asks for a spiritual awakening and does not like the result, so she fights it. At the same time, there is the lover who wants to be with her. The other story is about two women in search of themselves while on a bizarre journey. Literally, this is a journey and both women are confused. I also have love interests for both women.
Things have changed for the better for me in 2013. Recently, my spouse and I hosted a family party. I could not believe how much everything was put together with ease and grace. I contributed about half of the dishes. I started a day early and did each one gracefully. I did not stress out. Same with the cleanup, I just jumped in, and before I knew it, everything was washed. I could not have said the same thing last year.
Thank you so much for joining me here today, Lynn. I know my followers will enjoy this spotlight as much as I have conducting it. Good luck on all your future endeavors.
I want to thank you for featuring me today. It has certainly been a pleasure. Look for my book, Enlightened Desire, to be released in the upcoming weeks. Until next time.
A LITTLE MORE ABOUT LYNN LAWLER
Lynn Lawler is a fiction writer, Reiki and Theta DNA practitioner. She writes stories greatly inspired by the GLBT community and her own experiences. She is the author of Enlightened Desire, a story about a woman who thinks she has her life figured out. Then she encounters an occurrence that tells her otherwise. Oddities suddenly become realities. Secrets are coming out of the woodwork. Jackie cannot hide from herself anymore, nor can she be in denial about her true potential. Simultaneously, there is the secret lover who has her own agenda. Then there is the other lover who is wrecking havoc for Jackie. Jackie is caught in the middle of confusion.
Lynn has had a lifelong interest in writing and wrote short stories while in school. In college she wrote an editorial that was published in The Detroit Free Press. It focused on the positives of children’s education in the sciences. She found this to be very inspiring and felt people needed awareness.
During her early adult years, Lynn went on a spiritual journey to Arizona seeking enlightenment. While there she got to experience some things that were life changing. She first managed a vendor booth, selling nutritional supplements at a flea market. Then as one door closed, another door opened. After this job ended, the next day she started working at a place that really enlightened her; the produce department at a natural food coop in Tempe, AZ. There she educated people on sprouting as well as the health benefits of juicing. At the same time, she spent a lot of time out in nature hiking and listening to its celebration.
In addition to her retail experience, she also has work experience in Architectural design as well as Finance. At one job, she got to help create the construction documents for a gym. Even though she liked the creativity that Architectural design offered, her passion lies in writing, which now has developed into her new career.
Lynn started her professional writing career several years ago after she watched a documentary on the life of the 20th century writer Willa Cather. At the same time, she experienced a loss that steered her to take this direction. After writing the initial outline and first draft, the author embraced a new awareness that changed the path of her life.
The trials of Lynn’s life have only served as stepping stones to a brighter outlook and a stronger spirit. Many of which are incorporated into Lynn’s stories. In school, Lynn encountered some tough times with her peers. Lynn touches on bullying in her stories, emphasizing that it is never okay.
She also incorporates teachings in her work. She is a fan of Louise L. Hay and writes about learning to love yourself. She also includes learning to forgive yourself and others and gratitude.
She is the survivor of domestic abuse. She has come to terms with this and has grown into a more conscious woman. No matter what the circumstance was, she has always found a way to pick herself up and move on. She is self reliant and independent with a caring heart.
Lynn has always been a fan of books. As a small child, she read Judy Blume books, and it was here that she had her first thought about writing as a profession. Later, she became a fan of Mary Higgins Clark and J.K. Rowling. She also loves reading the works of other GLBT authors such as Q.C. Masters and Veronica Lyons. She enjoys material of the unknown, mysterious, and mystical and peppered with romance.
In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, meditation, cooking, and watching baseball. In addition, she maintains a weekly blog and often features other authors. She believes in helping other authors in addition to promoting herself. Lastly, she has been a vegetarian for all of her adult life. It’s no surprise that her main characters are also vegetarian.
Lynn lives in SoCal with her spouse and cats. She is currently at work on her next novel.
Lynn has had a lifelong interest in writing and wrote short stories while in school. In college she wrote an editorial that was published in The Detroit Free Press. It focused on the positives of children’s education in the sciences. She found this to be very inspiring and felt people needed awareness.
During her early adult years, Lynn went on a spiritual journey to Arizona seeking enlightenment. While there she got to experience some things that were life changing. She first managed a vendor booth, selling nutritional supplements at a flea market. Then as one door closed, another door opened. After this job ended, the next day she started working at a place that really enlightened her; the produce department at a natural food coop in Tempe, AZ. There she educated people on sprouting as well as the health benefits of juicing. At the same time, she spent a lot of time out in nature hiking and listening to its celebration.
In addition to her retail experience, she also has work experience in Architectural design as well as Finance. At one job, she got to help create the construction documents for a gym. Even though she liked the creativity that Architectural design offered, her passion lies in writing, which now has developed into her new career.
Lynn started her professional writing career several years ago after she watched a documentary on the life of the 20th century writer Willa Cather. At the same time, she experienced a loss that steered her to take this direction. After writing the initial outline and first draft, the author embraced a new awareness that changed the path of her life.
The trials of Lynn’s life have only served as stepping stones to a brighter outlook and a stronger spirit. Many of which are incorporated into Lynn’s stories. In school, Lynn encountered some tough times with her peers. Lynn touches on bullying in her stories, emphasizing that it is never okay.
She also incorporates teachings in her work. She is a fan of Louise L. Hay and writes about learning to love yourself. She also includes learning to forgive yourself and others and gratitude.
She is the survivor of domestic abuse. She has come to terms with this and has grown into a more conscious woman. No matter what the circumstance was, she has always found a way to pick herself up and move on. She is self reliant and independent with a caring heart.
Lynn has always been a fan of books. As a small child, she read Judy Blume books, and it was here that she had her first thought about writing as a profession. Later, she became a fan of Mary Higgins Clark and J.K. Rowling. She also loves reading the works of other GLBT authors such as Q.C. Masters and Veronica Lyons. She enjoys material of the unknown, mysterious, and mystical and peppered with romance.
In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, meditation, cooking, and watching baseball. In addition, she maintains a weekly blog and often features other authors. She believes in helping other authors in addition to promoting herself. Lastly, she has been a vegetarian for all of her adult life. It’s no surprise that her main characters are also vegetarian.
Lynn lives in SoCal with her spouse and cats. She is currently at work on her next novel.
PLACES TO FIND LYNN
TWITTER OR @LynnLawler1
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