Interview with debut thriller author C.H. Lyn

Today’s spotlight shines on author C.H. Lyn as she chats with us about her new thriller suspense, Lacey Goes to Tokyo.

During her virtual book tour, C.H. will be giving away a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops, and enter there, too!

Welcome, C.H. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I was born and raised in a small town in Northern California. Growing up in a college town meant I experienced a wide variety of people and opinions. I like to think my stories reflect the vast differences in the people I've met. I love to travel. I want to explore the world around me while writing about the worlds in my mind.

I grew up with a steady diet of wonderful stories set in amazing worlds. I've read almost every series Tamora Pierce has written, and I am a crazy fan of the Hunger Games series. My nerdiness also encompasses the Harry Potter series, LOTR, and (to an extent) the worlds of superheros. Though, my husband is really head of DC knowledge in the household. He is also the most amazing source of support I could hope for.

I'm 26 now. My daughter just turned one. She is already so smart, curious, and beautiful. I want the female characters in my writing to be inspiring, not just for her, but for all the little girls who grow up reading.

Please tell us about your new release.
Releasing Lacey Goes to Tokyo has been fantastic. This is my debut novel, the first in a long series I’m currently working on. My publisher has been amazing, from communication to cover. The release is eBook only, but I’m confident we will be putting Lacey Goes to Tokyo into print very soon.

What inspired you to write this book?
This book was inspired by the characters. I can’t say where Miss Belle, Lacey, Missa, Thomas, and the rest originally came from, all I can say is when they appeared in my head, I had to get their story on paper. Once they appeared, different aspects were heightened by drawing from people in real life. By that time, the story itself had materialized, and not writing it would have driven me crazy.

Excerpt from Lacey Goes to Tokyo:I jump over a seat and give Delilah a friendly nudge with my shoulder. “What do you think so far?”

“It’s not what they said it would be.”

I frown. That’s not the response I was expecting. “I think it’s pretty good. I wasn’t expecting anything really different.”

“Well no.” She faces me. Her eye makeup is heavy. “You’re with Mr. Blake and you’ve done this before.”

Oh. The gut punch of realization almost makes me flinch.

She turns back toward the stage. “It’s just not what they said.”

I want to respond. I want to pull her into a hug and tell her it never is. I want to reassure her that it’s not easy for me either.

Daniel returns and watches me until I move over. They didn’t have his preferred alcohol. He grumbles that the second half better be shorter than the first.

Nathan rejoins us a few minutes later. He hands me a steaming cup of green tea which I sip gratefully. We hold hands during the rest of the play.

Nathan asks me if I enjoyed the show. I tell him it was splendid. I thank him for including me and ask what is next.

We make our way to Daniel’s penthouse. In the cab, Nathan pulls out a little Kabuki figurine; one of the ones I’d been eyeing. My insides knot up. I hate how good it feels when he is kind to me.

What exciting story are you working on next?Book two of Miss Belle’s Travel Guides! Damen Goes to Peru is coming along nicely. This story follows three characters rather than two: Miss Belle, Damen, and his twin sister Carmen. I am very excited to follow these new characters in their adventures, and to follow Miss Belle as she deals with the events of this story, and the repercussions of the end of Lacey Goes to Tokyo.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Oh gosh, maybe at 14? Is that too young? I’ve been writing forever. The plots have gotten more complex, the characters have gotten more realistic, and the writing has (hopefully, haha) gotten a heck of a lot better. But I’ve thought of myself as a writer long before I decided I wanted to pursue a publishing career.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I definitely do not write full-time. Not with a 1.5-year-old in the house. I wish I had a more time to write, and I will once summer hits and my babysitter is out of school. For now, I write during naptime and on the weekends. I find my ability to write at home is somewhere close to nonexistent. I do my best and most productive work when I can’t see the stack of dishes or pile of laundry waiting to be done. Coffee shops are my go-to. I love a good mocha (decaf at the moment as I’m 6 months pregnant), a pastry, and a few hours of good, uninterrupted writing time.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I go back and forth between techniques. Sometimes I do speed writing, sometimes I take my time. Sometimes I write an outline for a scene, other times I wing it. I’ve even used a talk to text software my mom got me a while back. It’s a bit harder to use now, mostly because of the aforementioned 1.5 year old, but when she’s a bit older and I have more time in a quiet office, I’ll probably start back up with it again.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

All the things. I wasn’t the kid who had one dream from an early age. I always wanted to travel, and I always wanted to write. But picking a career based off those two things never really happened. I fancied myself a spy, an adventurer, a teacher, and a whole handful of other things as I grew up. Now, still not grown-up but closer than I was at 14, I still want to travel and write. And I am! I’m lucky enough to have married a man who not only indulges, but encourages my need to explore the world. We took our little one to Costa Rica when she was 6 months old (less trouble on the plane than you’d think), and we have a trip to Ireland planned sometime in the fall. Though, that one will be a bit more difficult as we will have a 2-year-old and a 4-month-old at that point. Pray for me now, hahaha.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?Only that I hope they enjoy the book! I had so much fun writing it. So many laugh-out-loud moments, moments I teared up, moments I got angry, etc. I want them to have a similar experience reading it. I want them to fall in love with the characters as much as I have.

Links:

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