Hey everyone! Today I have a special guest… I’m doing an interview with one of the Classic Romance Revival authors as part of the CRR interview exchange. It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to introduce Hywela Lyn, and to share with you a little of the amazing world she creates in her books and the characters that help to bring it to life.

Hywela Lyn lives in a small village in England although her heart remains in her native rural Wales, which inspired so much of her writing.

Although most her writing tends to be futuristic, the worlds she creates are usually untainted by crowded cities and technology, embracing the beauty and wildness of nature. Her characters often have to fight the elements and the terrain itself. Her heroes are strong and courageous, but chivalrous and honorable – and of course, handsome and hunky. Her heroines are also strong and courageous, but retain their femininity and charm. However difficult the journey, love will always win in the end.

Judah – Tell us a little more about your writing… What type of romance do you write and why?

Hywela Lyn – I mainly write futuristic and fantasy, although I started out writing Westerns. I love the drama and romance of the old west, the idea of exploring a new world and fighting the elements and terrain, never quite knowing what dangers were going to be encountered. Probably my love for horses had something to do with my interest in that genre as well. I couldn’t find any market for Westerns in the UK, especially Western romances, so I turned to science fiction and fantasy. When you think about it, there are similarities between the genres. In science fiction you have the same pioneering spirit, brave people leaving everything they know to explore strange new worlds, with starships instead of horses. Fantasy is even more like the Western genre, with, usually, vast open spaces and primitive technology. Another advantage of science fiction and fantasy is that one is able to draw even more on one’s imagination and create whole new worlds where different rules and laws of physics can apply. This is such fun, although it does involve a certain amount of research. Even fantasy has to be ‘logical’ and there has to be a rationale for what happens. The element of danger is also a great way for the two main characters to interact and work together and ultimately to fall in love. When I received my first contract, I was thrilled to find that my Publisher, The Wild Rose Press, not only has a paranormal line for futuristic and fantasy, but also a Western historical line as well. Watch this space, folks!

Judah – Who are your favorite hero and heroine, and why?

Hywela Lyn – In my own books my favourite heroine would be Jestine Darnell in ‘Starquest’. She lived in my mind for such a long time, she became almost like a sister. I love her courage and determination, and the fact she also has a vulnerable side. Of course I love both the heroes in this story (no, it’s not a ménage, more of an eternal triangle with a h.e.a.!) It’s difficult to choose between the two main male characters in that book, they’re both so different, and I really like them both.

As far as more famous books are concerned, Rhett Butler and Scarlet O’Hara in Gone With The Wind’ of course, and Ged, or ‘Sparrowhawk’ and Tenar in ‘A Wizard of Earthsea’ series by Ursula Le Guin. They both suffered so much and took so long to finally get it together, but they were so right for each other when they did.

Judah – Do you listen to music while you are writing and if so what music is it?

Hywela Lyn – I usually have some form of music on in the background. I find it helps set the mood and is also a form of inspiration in itself. I love light classical and film music, also folk and Celtic music. I love Clannad and Enya too. I do find, however, that the music gradually fades into the background as I become immersed in my writing.

Judah – If you could entertain a character from a book, who would it be and what would the evening be like?

Hywela Lyn – Naturally, the evening would be fantastic. I’d like to entertain Mr Darcy from ‘Pride and Prejudice. He is such an interesting character. We would have a candlelit dinner, out in the open, with the moon casting a romantic glow across the lake (from which, of course, he emerged earlier on dripping wet,!) *Grin.*

Judah – What do you like to do in your spare time? Do you have any special hobbies or collections? Is there an activity you would love to pursue…as soon as you can find a bit of spare time?

Hywela Lyn – Well, apart from snatching the chance to read, I am an ‘oudoor person and a great animal lover. I have two horses and a ‘rescued’ Jack Russell terrier who keep me very busy. The horses are kept some way away from where we live, unfortunately, which involves a lot of travel, especially in the winter, although my husband is great at helping out. For me, there’s no better way of finding inspiration than a long ride in the countryside or walking with my dog. I also enjoy spending time pottering around in my small garden. I’m no plant expert, but I do love seeing things grow, and watching the wildlife that visits. I spend a fortune on bird food but it‘s such fun seeing them feed, and bathe in the bird bath. I used to love to draw and paint in oils, mainly horses. I don’t have the time for it these days, unfortunately.

Judah – What was the most difficult thing in your journey to becoming a published author?

Hywela Lyn – Learning to cope with rejection and To take advice when it meant changing or removing completely some of the passages I had worked so hard on. That, and knowing that there comes a time when you have to realize you’ve done all you can and polished your book as much as you can; to know when to ‘let go’.

Judah – What is the hardest part of writing for you; the area you really wish
you could either have someone else do for you, or better yet, just make
it go away?

Hywela Lyn – I think the promotional side is the hardest thing for a lot of writers, as well as myself. I love the interaction with readers and other writers on the loops and groups, but it’s such a time guzzler and sometimes it seems there’s just no time for the actual writing!

Judah – We all have little maxims or wise words that we live by… what would be yours?

Hywela Lyn – I am a great admirer of the native Americans. I love and admire thee way they respected the earth and the life it supports. One of my favourite historical characters is Chief Seattle (In fact in ‘Children Of The mist, my heroine from ‘Starquest’ has named her computer ‘Seattle’ in honour of him.) These are words from one of his most famous speeches:

“What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of the spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected.” How true. How much poorer our lives would be without the animals who share our world.

“Man did not weave the web of life – he is merely a strand in it.
Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.”

I try to remember these words in my daily life. I often think if the white man had taken more notice of them, today we would not be faced with global warming and the other dangers threatening the Earth and our way of life.

Judah – Wise words! Thanks so much for sharing these insights into your life and your work.

Hywela Lyn – Thanks so much for having me, Judah, I’ve really enjoyed it.

Well, that about wraps up my interview with Hywela Lyn. Her latest book ‘Children Of The mist’ was released by The Wild Rose Press on 19th June 2009 and is a sequel to her debut novel, ‘Starquest’. A futuristic tale of love, betrayal and friendship.
Hywela Lyn is a member of EPIC and Romance Writers Association (UK). She loves hearing from readers and other authors at her website www.hywelalyn.co.uk or her blog www.hywelalyn.blogpspot.com. You can email her at Hywelalyn@hywelalyn.co.uk and she also has a ‘My Space’ www.myspace.com/hywelalyn as do both the heroines of ‘Starquest’ (www.myspace.com/jestine_darnell) and ‘Dancing With Fate’ (www.myspace.com/terpsichoremuseofdance)

Thanks for visiting with us. I’ll see you all again soon|!
Jude

http://www.judahraine.com
http://judahraine.blogspot.com

Hey there! Thanks for joining me today for my interview with Kathy Otten…

Judah: Hi Kathy, good to have you here. Why don’t you kick off by telling us a bit about your books – your style of writing, the genre you write in, and what you set out to achieve when you start a book.

Kathy: Hi Judah. I write historical romances, set in America between the start of the Civil War and the end of the cowboy era. I try to create stories that touch on the emotions of the characters, and hopefully convey that emotion to the reader.

Judah: That’s an interesting choice… but what prompted you to take the plunge – first to actually write a book, and second to actually submit it?

Kathy: I have been writing stories since I was a kid, so I never actually made a conscious decision to write a book, but it wasn’t until my kids were in high school that I seriously sat down to write. I wanted my book to be perfect before I submitted it, so I joined a couple of critique groups. Not only did I learn my stuff wasn’t perfect, it never will be. I next had to learn that once it was as good as I could get it, I had to let it go and stop fixing it. I started submitting my work to publishers and agents. It was a daunting task, and took years of being rejected before my first story was published.

Judah: Being an author myself I can so identify with that “stop fixing it” bit! So do you pre-plan your books, or do you just work from an idea and see where it goes?

Kathy: My characters come to me first. They lurk on the periphery of my mind until I begin asking questions, like their name, or where they live. Eventully the bare bones of a story are sketched out. Dialogue usually comes to me next. I hear my characters talking to each other in my head. I write it down and flesh out a scene around it. The scenes are never in order and once I have a significant number I start putting them in some kind of sequence then fill out the vague areas.

Judah: What is the most difficult (or challenging) part about being an author?

Kathy: For me, the marketing and promotional stuff. I’m not good with computers or navigating all the loops, blogs, and friend networks. I wish there was a book with step by step instructions to establishing a nation wide fan base and achieving finacial success.

Judah: (lol!) Don’t we all. But now that we’ve got that question out the way, what do you most enjoy about writing?

Kathy: When I finish writing something, I put it away. After a significant length of time passes I take it out and read it, and there is always some powerful bit of dialogue or scene that jumps out at me and I think, wow, I can’t believe I actually wrote that. Those private moments when I know I nailed it.

Judah: I love this next question… If you had one “do over” in life, what would you like that to be?

Kathy: Do overs are hard because if you actually had a do over to fix one thing in your life, everything else would be affected. I don’t know that I’d want to give up all the good things that evolved from my mistakes. Sometimes though, I wish I had been brave enough to start submitting my work sooner.

Judah: How do you feel when you come to the end of a book?

Kathy: Once the creative energy is finished, editing begins and that for me is work. By the time I’m finished with it, I’m almost relieved to be done with it, because I have other characters in my head clamouring to be heard.

Judah: Do you think any of your characters would be a “best friend” if they were real? If so, which one and why?

Kathy: I have no idea. They say that when you have kids, the child who is most like you is the one you argue with the most. Since all my characters each have a piece of me, it would be hard to say what would happen. We’d probably fight.

Judah: Some people have said that “romance” and “real life” don’t fit in the same book… how do you feel about this?

Kathy: Real life is made up of moments. Those moments when everyone you love is safe and healthy and happy are the one you hang on to through all the rest. I think that escaping into a story where love triumphs over the trials of life, reminds us to appreciate those moments.

Judah: What great answers! Thanks, Kathy, for being so honest…

Kathy’s historical western romance, Between the Lines, is available from the Wild Rose Press at http://www.TheWildRosePress.com

Here’s the blurb to whet your appetite, or use the following buy link for an excerpt: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=882

You can also visit her website at http://www.kathyotten.com

Blurb:
Anxious to escape the confines of her loving, but overprotective family, Meg Greyson travels to Wyoming Territory to marry the man of her dreams. Only she discovers Brendan Kelly is nothing like the gentleman rancher who penned her beautiful letters. As she comes to know this intimidating, yet tacit man, Meg finds herself constantly having to rationalize away his dark and dangerous side in order to conform him to her image of the perfect man who wrote her letters.
Brendan knows he should tell her the truth, but once he does, she will leave him forever. So he keeps pretending and every time she says, “I love you,” he dies a little more inside, for he knows he will never be the man she wants him to be.

Sounds like an intriguing read to me…
Thanks for visiting,
Jude