Today I'm chatting to Lynette Eason who writes Romantic Suspense Novels. I've always been fascinated by how authors balance the romance and suspense sides of their books and Lynette gives us some cracking advice.
Today I'm chatting to Lynette Eason who writes Romantic Suspense Novels. I've always been fascinated by how authors balance the romance and suspense sides of their books and Lynette gives us some cracking advice.
Hi, and
Wendy Jones:welcome to the writing and Marketing Show brought to you by author Wendy H. Jones. This show does exactly what it says on the tin. It's jam packed with interviews, advice, hints, tips and news to help you with the business of writing. It's all wrapped up in one lively podcast, so it's time to get on with the show. And welcome to Episode 83 of the writing and Marketing Show with author entrepreneur Wendy H. Jones. Today I'm joined on the show by romantic suspense author Lynette Easton. I've been a real fond of Lynette for many years. So it's a real honour to have her on the show today, more of her in a moment. So what's been happening in the life of Wendy H. Jones, and what have I been doing? Well, I've enjoyed my writing retreat, I'm back. Now I've had a great time. And I managed to get a lot of writing done. I'm doing some editing for other people on I'm busy editing, creativity matters, which is going to be out in about two and a half weeks. So exciting times. I'm also putting the finishing touches to killers curse, which will also be out by the end of the month. So a very exciting month for me indeed. Things are also freeing up a bit more No. So I'm booking a trip to London in October, I've booked my train ticket, and a more first class actually because I got a very good deal on a first class ticket to London in October and I'm going to be doing research for my Thomas game book. And I'm very much looking forward to that because I'm going to go down to Chatham dockyard, and I'm going to do go to the War Museum and I'm going to be going to the British Library. So that'll be an exciting time. I've also booked another trip to Edinburgh to do some more research there for my Thomas Graham book. So because things are opening up a little bit, and I'm taking the opportunity and things have changed since I did my podcast on how you could organise your research because things are not quite so pressured. No, you don't you can you still have to book but you book. But you can book longer you can do more than one. One session art to the National Library of Scotland at a time you can do two in a week now, which is great, because that means I'll be able to have two sessions there. And I'm excited that things are opening up a bit things are freer things are a bit more relaxed, even though I'm still wearing a mask jelly my hands and doing everything correctly. And before we come onto the net, I would just like to say it's an absolute pleasure to bring you the show every week. I do so willingly and I enjoy it. However it does take time out of my writing time and if you would like to support that time, you can do so by going to patreon.com forward slash Wendy h Jones and supporting me for just $3 a month which is the price of a tea or coffee per month and I would be very grateful or if you just want to support me for a one off show you can do so through buy me a coffee and the link for that is on my website. You can click on the button and just buy me a coffee. That means I can go out and have a coffee as well. So what have Lynette Well, as I say I'm very excited to have Lynette join me because I am a longtime fun. award winning Best Selling Author Lynette Eason writes for Harlequins love inspired suspense line, and for revel a division of Baker Publishing Group. Her books have hit the Publishers Weekly CBA and ecpa bestseller lists, and have won numerous awards such as the prestigious cattle award, the seller, the Daphne, the IR cc award, and more. Lynette is married has two children and lives in Granville, so Greenville, South Carolina. And she is also a very nice person because she's agreed to come and a brilliant writer. So without further ado, let's get on with the show and hear from Lynette and we have onenet with us welcome Lynette
Lynette Eason:Thank you. I'm glad to be here.
Wendy Jones:Oh, it's such an honour to have you here. I've been a fan gal for years. I love your books. They're great.
Lynette Eason:Thank you. I appreciate that very much.
Wendy Jones:Well, I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to join us. And I will start with an apology because if at any point I call you own or manage. I'm sorry, but my brain is in brain freeze with anything that ends in net at the moment.
Lynette Eason:That is perfectly fine. If anything. If anytime I stumble over my words, it's because I'm brain dead from deadline madness. So we'll make a pair today.
Wendy Jones:If you have a deadline. We better get on with the show then so I hope you're sitting comfortablythere in South Carolina.
Lynette Eason:Yes, I'm from South Carolina.
Wendy Jones:Yes. Excellent. Well, we love having people from South Carolina here on the writing and Marketing Show. So welcome to Scotland, even if it's only virtually
Lynette Eason:Thank you, I really want to come to Scotland. Never miss it, please come and visit. You'll love it. I'll make sure you looked after hand fist and finger. I know, I would love it. Love to make that happen someday.
Wendy Jones:Definitely, definitely. Now, I know you've had a long and distinguished career as an author. And I was wondering, could you start by telling us something about your author journey?
Lynette Eason:Sure. So that's going back a long ways. Um, I, I have always kind of wanted to write a book, even when I was in middle school, and I'm never really thought about doing it for publication just wanted to do it to do it. So when I was, um, I got married, and I haven't had a child and I, for some reason that that would be a really good time to start writing a book. Especially when she's awake in the middle of the night, and all that fun stuff. But my husband travels a lot for his job. And, and he was gone quite a bit. So I was home with a baby by myself, frequently and I I started writing to kind of fill the time to combat you know, combat the loneliness. And so, I didn't really I guess I kind of worked I've always loved to read like Nancy Drew Hardy Boys, suspense, the kind of stories that kind of stuff. Alfred Hitchcock, Agatha Christie, all the classics now this kind of fun things. And I decided, Well, you know, I think I don't mind a suspense story. Well, then I read a de Henderson book called danger in the shadows. And I was like, Oh, wait a minute. This is a whole new genre. This is what I want to write. I love the romance. suspense, put them together, and it's perfect. So that's how I ended up writing romantic suspense.
Wendy Jones:Hey, excellent. Now it sounds like we have similar taste in books. I read Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. And of course, we also had the famous five and the secret seven in Britain from Enid Blyton. Yeah, okay.Yeah, we had those as well. And then I moved on to Agatha Christie, and I love Dee Henderson's books. Oh, yeah. Amazing. She is an amazing person. Brilliant. Yeah. So just so we're clear what romantic suspense is, what exactly is it?
Lynette Eason:Well, that's a really good question. So it's a book that contains romance, and suspense. And basically, your hero and your heroine are falling in love while someone's trying to kill them. Which makes for some interesting dynamics occasionally, but um, but you know, it works. And it just depends on you know, the character development, the background, the Do they know each other before all this happen? Do they need each other while it's happening? Do they, you know, that kind of thing. And so I try to have a balance of probably maybe 30% romance and 70% suspense, simply because I like the suspense better than romance. Um, I, I used to read a lot more romance when I when I was younger, before I started writing, but once I hit the D Henderson books, now I was like, Oh, so yeah, and I met like the remote, the most romantic person on the face. And my husband is way more romantic than I am. But bless his heart. So um, so I think I just lean more toward the suspense naturally. But for the love inspired books, I also write for Harlequins love inspired line, and they want it more 5050. And so usually, by the time I finished the book, I have to actually go back and find places that I can put romance in to make it balance out with the Ravel books. I don't do that so much. I kind of just, I try to let it flow naturally in in the circumstances. And so but, um, but yeah, so it's, it's a balance. It's a balance between the two. Yeah,
Wendy Jones:no, that's good. Really? I did because that's my next question is how do you balance the demands and the suspense so that readers don't feel shortchanged in either department? Because I like, I like suspense, a little bit of romance, but you know, so how do you balance it and readers, you know, enjoy it?
Lynette Eason:Yeah, I'm kind of, I'm not really sure how I balance it, to be honest with you. I am a very instinctual writer. Like I write what feels right. And so um, and Then I can kind of go back once the story is finished, I can kind of go back and go through it and start looking at it and analysing it more, I guess, technically, is it? Does it work? And, and most of the time, it really does. I don't have to do a whole lot of rewriting occasionally. But like I said it writing for me is very instinctual. I know the rules. I know the process. I know, I have all the head knowledge of what a book is supposed to look like and what you're supposed to put in there and the craft part what's good writing, what's bad writing that kind of stuff. But as far as when I'm putting the book together I think readers at this point know what to expect from me and they know that my books are not really heavy on the romance, it's going to be more suspense and and danger heavy. So I don't think take it I feel shortchanged. Now, if a new reader picks up one of my books, and they know the genre is classified a romantic suspense, then they may be a little surprised that there's not more romance in it. But I really hope that the the story just kind of captures them and draws them in and they really enjoy the the suspense and the danger part of it as well. So there's enough romance in there to, to to make anybody happy.
Wendy Jones:I mean, your books suit me admirably, because if I get a romantic suspense book by a new author, and it's mostly romance with a little bit of suspense, unlike too much romance in this for me, I would pick like, romantic type, you know, so, yeah, but you know, what you can tell from the books I write Because there's not that much romance in them, that's for sure. They will never come under romantic suspense. So I think you've answered this really, because you You see, you're an instinctual writer. But do you think it works to try and plot out both aspects? So they fit together seamlessly? Or is it better just to let it flow?
Lynette Eason:Well, I yeah, I, I do some plotting, I do. Obviously, Assam's when I'm writing the story, I'm focusing more on character development. And, and, and the plot as far as what's happening, and what happens, what has to happen, where in the story to make sure the story is moving forward. And so, um, I don't really plot the romance part that I let kind of happen naturally, as I'm writing, it's in the back of my head. I know it has to happen. I know that they can't, oh, they like each other here. Oh, they have a kiss here. Oh, we're gonna get married here. I mean, we can't we can't do that. You know, it just doesn't work. And so I, it's the romance part, being in the back of my head. I try to as I'm working through the story. First and foremost, I want the story to feel I guess realistic, like, okay, these people just met? Are they really gonna fall in love in two weeks? Probably not. I mean, it's possible my parents met and married, and within three months, so I mean, like, literally got engaged in met in April, got engaged in May, and we're married July 16. So it happens. But um, yeah, but that was 50 some odd years ago. Take that. We won't talk about that. So I just want i i know that readers expect that they're going to have to maybe suspend the, suspend their belief occasionally. But I, I try to avoid that as much as possible. I don't want them to have to suspend the belief. I want them to read it and think, oh, man, this could really happen. And so usually, if my characters know each other before the story starts, like they, they maybe they work together or they were a childhoods or high school sweethearts are college sweethearts or whatever. And they come back together. I think it's very believable that they could get together they could rekindle those feelings with you know, in a two week span. I don't have a problem with that. So that's okay. But if they don't know each other, and two weeks later, they're talking marriage. I'm thinking, yeah, no, I'm not. Yeah, I guess it depends on your personality. I'm not saying it doesn't happen. But for me, it's not like it. So um, I really tried to, to make sure that where I insert the romantic part of it, it's it's realistic, and I don't want them running for their lives being shot at on I stop to share a kiss. No, I'm sorry. That's not gonna happen. That's just no don't do that. stuff. Oh, so yeah, I, I do plot and I don't plot. I know that's a really vague answer. I'm sorry.
Wendy Jones:That was a brilliant answer. It was a really good answer. Because we want to know what you do you know, and what other people can do. Because we're all different. And people might be thinking, Oh, well, I've got to plot everything out. But you're saying that Well, yeah, it can happen naturally as well. Sure, sure. Yeah. Well, you write for both Harlequins love inspired suspense, and I've got some of those. And you also write for revel. And I've also got some of those and they're completely, they're almost completely different genres, even though they're both romantic suspense, they're completely different. Can you tell us about each of them and the differences?
Lynette Eason:Okay, so they are both romantic suspense. Like I said, a little bit earlier, love inspired, really, it's, while they're focused on the danger and the romance, they really want that romance in there. And, um, and, and the books are shorter, so I have a much about 25,000 words less than the Ravel books to tell, yeah, that's a, that's a significant part of the, you know, word count that I have to really write tight. And I really have to, I have to get all that in there in a shorter, smaller amount of space. And so, so that makes it a little a little more interesting to work with, you know, and with rebel being much longer, I have a lot more time for character development, subplots, secondary characters, more point of views I, in the current story that I'm writing now, I think I have a four point of views. And that's usually more than what I do. I don't usually do that many, but it just worked in the story. So I went with it. And, and Ravel, you can only have two point of views, you have the hero's point of view and the heroines point of view. And that's it, which, which makes sense because there's so much shorter. So, um, but I still try to make sure that I I make the story as exciting and fun as possible in unputdownable and you know, as as I can I try to do that for both, obviously, obviously. So, um, so while they're different, you know, they're the same two and my voice is the same. My voice comes across, I think, in both in both types of books, as you know, it's fast paced, it's fast paced, exciting, dangerous, etc. So,
Wendy Jones:yeah, you've got 25,000 less words in Harlequin to get their, their romance going and then and married in a fortnight .
Lynette Eason:Yeah, exactly,exactly.
Wendy Jones:So a lot more romance.
Lynette Eason:And less time if I can have them know each other beforehand, in the in the love inspire books, and maybe they've been kind that they have a history, then it's easier, it's actually easier to make that romance happen, then when they're just like strangers than me. But yeah, make it work.
Wendy Jones:Well, you certainly you make it work. I like them both. They're great. And I know, I know, you're a Christian, and your Christian faith is part of your books. And but I'm curious how you incorporate this to make it a natural part of the story?
Lynette Eason:Well, yes, I am a Christian, I love Jesus so much. And I'm very grateful and thankful to him for allowing me to do what I do. And so I naturally I want him in the stories I want him, you know, on every page. And, and, and I want that faith element to come across in a very natural way. I don't want to sound preachy, I don't want my I mean, I just, I don't like to read those kinds of things. And so I want to make sure that my, my hero and heroine, they have usually they have some kind of, they're either well grounded in in their face, or they're struggling with something. And it's usually one or the other that is struggling and the other one is pretty well grounded. And I mean, I even have written stories where one of the characters was not a Christian when the story started, but became one by the end of the story. So because i don't i i think it's important that the characters both be Christians, by the end of the story, if they're going to commit make a commitment to the to one another. I mean, I in real life, I realised that Christians and non Christians do get together in a romantic relationship. But for these stories, in fact, the publisher pretty much demands that they're both Christians by the end of the story set all that To say, um, I just tried to think about, you know, put myself in that situation. Thankfully, I've never been in a lot of situations I've been in my book. I just tried to put myself in that situation. And I was that character. And this was happening. accord according to the personality that I built in this character, and how would I react? What would I do? What would what would happen to my face? if, you know, something happened to one of my children, if something happened to my spouse, what would you know? What, where would? Where would I be in my faith, and I just tried to incorporate that in naturally. I tried to make conversations with, you know, prayer, I try to make them more conversation, because that's what it is. Prayer is a conversation with that. And, um, you know, and sometimes we listen, and sometimes we don't know when he answers. And so I just really try to make it natural and make it flow and not sound preachy. I never want to sound like I'm preaching at the reader.
Wendy Jones:No, it does come across really naturally. So that's, I mean, I love them, they're great. And so what would be your top three tips for anyone considering writing romantic suspense?
Lynette Eason:I would say, number one is to read read, read romantic suspense, find the line that you want to write for whether like I said, Love inspired and rebel are very different lines that you have to know the rules for each publishing house, and they're very different. Writing for love inspired is a whole different ballgame than writing pretty much for any other publishing house across the board. So read, read, read, and just go to conferences, I know, it's expensive, I know, it's very hard for people to do that. But in this day, and age, one of the, if there's any good thing that has come from this pandemic, which, you know, God can use everything for the good. And there are a lot of online options, there are a lot of people that are willing to give back and, and do it online, and you can learn so much, even online. Yeah, it's more fun to be there in person and to get to know the person or the people in person and to develop those relationships in person. But, I mean, we're all sick of online, I think but, um, but it can still be a tool that you can use to really learn the craft. And, and, and to get to know people in that genre that are writing that genre that are publishing that genre. So I would say I would say read, um, go to a conference in person if you can, if not use virtual. And third, I would say, um, start develop if, if, if law enforcement, because if you write suspense, law enforcement is going to be involved. And it's very important to make sure if you're not if your background is not law enforcement, it's really really important to have resources and and people that you can turn to, to go ask questions about, okay, what would happen if my, if my villain holds up a bank holds a bank hostage? What would what law enforcement entities would be involved in this and that kind of thing. So just make sure that you have your research resources available at your hands, the, I guess those would be my top three, that's, that's the way to do it. Because you don't want to write something and turn it into a publisher. And even the editor knows, wait a minute, this is not how law enforcement works. This person has not done their research. You know, because if you go to a conference, and you meet with an agent, or an editor, and they really like your pitch, because we all practice their pitches. And we all sound really good at conferences. Our first three chapters are probably spot on. But then they get past those first three chapters, and they go Wait a minute, what's happening? So um, so yeah, you want to make sure that that your entire story is on par with your first three chapters. So I guess that's maybe more than three, but there you go.
Wendy Jones:That's great. We like more than three, I just say three, because I don't want to put too much pressure on the person and you're fine, you're fine. So we want to hear about your books as well. So can you tell us about your latest book in the Harlequin line and the latest book in there? What's the other one available? Ravel, I get very confused with names.
Lynette Eason:Let me see, oh, this is not visual, is it? Oh, well, I was gonna say I have I have my my, I can see them. I will tell people I can go hostile. So hostile intent is before. And the danger never sleeps series with rebel. And it's Eva Eva. Eva Jackson is the heroine and Caden Dunning, who has been in the first three stories, and I actually wrote his point of view and all all the stories. So as I've never done something like that before, but it was really fun to do that it was a little different. But like I said, it was a lot of fun because he, he's an FBI agent. And he was very active in the first three stories with all of the other characters in the series. And so giving him his story was really, really exciting. And I think readers are really happy to finally have it but but Ava, she entered the military shortly after high school, and served in the Navy and but then her mother got sick, and she she has a terminal illness. And so Ava is the only one that can take care of her as her brother, her much younger brother is in medical school, and she doesn't want him to have to stop his education or to come home. So. So Ava does that and, and the really cool thing is, so Caden and Neva, have been in the first three books. And so we're finally getting to their story. So they've known each other and they known each other since childhood. And as always had kind of a crush on Caden. And Katie was kind of clueless as some men are. But so so what happens is, there's these murders, and there's a connection to Ava with one of the murders. And from that point on, is when the story really takes off with Cain and Ava, trying to figure out how her how she has this connection to the stories. And I really hate to say too much I don't want to I don't want to give away. Don't give the story. No, no. Yeah, but yeah, so anyway. So that's, that's pretty much how Cain and Abel story starts out and I'll let you read the book to find out how it ends. And I'm in love inspired, I think parallel on the ranch is the latest book. And it is the timber part of the timber Creek series in North Carolina. Timber Creek is a fictional town, I just liked the name of the It sounded like a cool small town that would be in North Carolina. So, um, so I chose that. And so it's a story about this woman, her name is Isabella. And she was married. She's a widow. But she and her husband had this dreams of this of having a ranch and taking in foster children and, and adopting and, and that kind of thing. And then so her husband died. But she still wanted to live the dream. She wanted to continue to dream. So she takes in foster children. And I'm the hero. Oh, and as you can imagine, with a ranch, she can't take care of it by herself. So she has been an ad in the paper and other places to get an help for the ranch. And so Mac houses. He has a history and he's kind of running from his past. A lot of pain in his past and he shows up, he applies for the job. And when he gets there, someone is trying to kidnap the baby that has been left on her porch. And so he intervenes. The guy get the bad guy gets away. But Isabel's like, okay, no interview necessary, you're hired. And that's how the two of them, you know, get together in the beginning of the book. So, and their adventure continues on the right.
Wendy Jones:I like the cut of her gib, you know, hey, you're hired, I like you. Well, this is my final question, because all interviews eventually come to an end. Where can my listeners find out more about you and your books?
Lynette Eason:Well, I have a pretty pretty extensive online presence. Of course, you can visit my website@lynda.com. And I'm on Facebook. You just do a search to find my profile my page. I tend not to accept friend requests from people i don't know if i haven't met you. But I do have the author page and anybody can follow my author page to keep up with my news. So there's that and then I'm on Twitter. When at Isa. It's easy to find. And I'm on Instagram, which I know is the most popular thing going on these days, but honestly, I am not like a big Instagram user. So if I if you send me a message or something on Instagram, you probably won't hear from me from like three weeks when I go Oh, I guess I should check this. So Facebook and my website, the contact me form are usually the two best ways to find me or get in touch with me and you can find out for my newsletter, sign up for my newsletter. I only send it out maybe once a month once every couple months depends on deadlines, and if I remember really bad on I know I'm getting better. I'm better I am. Um, so but that's how you can keep up with me.
Wendy Jones:Excellent. Well, you know, I feel particularly honoured that we're friends on Facebook, I didn't realise this. I'm feeling more honoured than I did at the start of the interview.
Lynette Eason:Ya I know, right.
Wendy Jones:Thank you very much Lynette. It's been an absolute pleasure having you join me.
Lynette Eason:Well, thank you for having me. I appreciate you and your patience with me.
Wendy Jones:There's no patience needed. It's been it's been a blast, as they say in America. I won't say it with an American accent because my American accent is rubbish. So
Lynette Eason:Oh, gosh, no.
Wendy Jones:So enjoy the rest of your day. And I hope your writing goes well.
Lynette Eason:Thank you. I appreciate it.
Wendy Jones:That brings us to the end of another show. It was really good to have you on the show with me today. I'm Wendy H Jones. And you can find me at wendyhjones.com. You can also find me on Patreon where you can support me for as little as $3 a month which is less than the price of a tea or coffee. You go to patreon.com/wendyhjones. I'm also Wendy H. Jones on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Thank you for joining me today and I hope you found it both useful and interesting. Join me next week when I will have another cracking guest for you. Until then, have a good week and keep writing. Keep reading and keep learning