Author Interview—Sharon Lynn

I recently volunteered to be the board secretary of the California Writers Club Mt. Diablo Chapter and took the minutes at their annual planning meeting. They are always looking for more volunteers, since the club is completely volunteer-run. It was interesting to learn what happens behind the scenes at board meetings.

I also found my latest author interview very interesting. Have you ever wondered how many rejections some authors get before they get a book deal? If so, you should check out Sharon Lynn’s interview. Her mystery, Death Takes a Bath, got her a coveted multi-book deal with a publisher. Enjoy the interview!

About the Author

Sharon Lynn was raised in Arizona, but it was living in England as a teenager, and every return trip since, that inspired the setting of A Cotswold Crimes Mystery series. As a professor of theater, film, and writing, she coaches and mentors aspiring artists. Her short stories can be found in anthologies from Malice Domestic and Desert Sleuths. She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Author’s Guild. You can sign up for Sharon’s quarterly news updates at www.sharonlwrites.com.

Interview

Who or what inspires you to write?

My parents and older siblings were always reading when I was growing up. I picked up anything they read, even when I was far too young (The Shining and The Godfather, for example). My dad loved mysteries, so every time he found a new author, I did too. John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee and Robert B. Parker’s Spencer were constant companions, along with Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, and Ellery Queen. I saw mysteries around every corner and started making up stories based on what those characters would do.

You had some great reading role models in your family, and those characters have inspired so many mystery writers. What is the best thing that has happened because of your writing?

The absolute best thing about being a writer is meeting fans and fellow authors. The community of mystery writers is filled with supportive, helpful, wonderful people. I love going to conferences and meeting old friends and making new ones.

The writing community in general is so supportive, and I’ve been impressed with how helpful mystery writers are to each other. What is the most difficult thing you have experienced about writing or publishing?

The most difficult thing about writing is rejection. I got 97 rejections before landing a three-book (hopefully more!) deal for A Cotswold Crimes Mystery series. And that doesn’t count the first book I wrote of a couple of short stories I really love that no one wants to pick up. But if you don’t put yourself out there, no one will do it for you.

The amount of work and perseverance required to get 97 rejections and keep going is so admirable. And it paid off! What didn’t you do during your writing or publishing journey that you wish you had?

I feel like nothing is more helpful to new authors than going to conferences. I waited until my first manuscript was completed before attending the Writer’s Digest national conference, and I learned so much at the craft sessions that I had to rewrite half the novel. A couple of times.

Attending conferences is really beneficial to writers, especially when they are first starting out. I learned so much at my first conference, and continued learning at the ones that followed. Do you have a publisher and/or agent, or are you an indie (self-published) or hybrid author?

I am traditionally published with Level Best Books, but I do not have an agent. I pitched Death Takes a Bath to them at a conference, and they offered a three-book deal with an option for two more.

Congratulations on your book deal, what an exciting achievement! You clearly like to write mysteries. Why do you prefer that genre?

A Cotswold Crimes Mystery series is traditional in the style of Agatha Christie with no graphic violence, cursing, or sex. I am currently pitching a suburban suspense, as well. The reason I write in the mystery genre is because I started out with a romance manuscript and found that I couldn’t help murdering characters.

How funny—it certainly sounds like you found the right genre. Murdered characters would surprise romance readers, for sure. Do you outline your books before you write them?

I love a good outline! I am a plotter through and through. I start with my synopsis, then map out my major plot points, and finally add the subplots. I don’t always stick to the outline, but it is great for keeping me on track or motivating me if I feel stuck.

It sounds like plotting has been a very successful writing strategy for you. How do you define success as a writer?

What a great question! I am not a competitive person, so I’m not concerned with being the best. Success for me is finishing a manuscript, having a short story accepted into an anthology, getting a panel slot at a conference, or selling out at a conference bookstore—any of these things motivate me to keep writing.

Those are all great markers of success and sensible goals for many authors. If you could have lunch with any author, who would it be?

If I could lunch with any author, alive or dead, I would pick Agatha Christie. I would love to chat with her about her persnickety detectives, locked-room mysteries, and motivations for writing.

Agatha Christie was one of the masters who produced so many great characters and adventures. Tell us about a great adventure you’ve had.

When I was a teenager, my family was lucky enough to live in Bath, England—the setting for Death Takes a Bath. My sister and I were walking down a cobblestone back street in Bear Flats, and a car with two cute boys drove up. They asked us to go to a pub. We jumped in the car and took off, racing past several pubs and into the countryside. This was before cell phones, and we weren’t carrying IDs. Our family didn’t have any idea where we were or who we were with. Neither did we, for that matter.

“This is how girls get sold into slavery,” I whispered to my sister.

“Or murdered,” she added.

Fortunately, the boys were quite sweet and took us to a charming pub with a gorgeous candlelit patio. It worked out okay, but it was one of the dumber things I’ve ever done.

I go to Bath quite often. I have never been able to find that pub again. It’s a bit like Brigadoon in my mind.

You were very lucky your adventure turned out well. Sharon, thank you so much for sharing your publishing journey with us!

Readers, you can find out more about Sharon and her books at her website, www.sharonlwrites.com.

Death Takes a Bath: A Cotswold Crimes Mystery Book 1

When Maddie McGuire lands an archaeology internship at the Roman Baths in England, she assumes everything will go her way. But when this college sophomore discovers a severed human ear on her doorstep, she must solve its meaning before she becomes the next victim, or worse, gets deported. Her tentative friendship with young constable Edward Bailey and the beauty of the Bath Abbey are no comfort as her aristocratic coworker, Simon Pacock, sabotages her every move. And the danger only increases when she discovers a dead body, both ears intact.

Amazon order link: amzn.to/3hKFdly

Death Takes A Fall: A Cotswold Crimes Mystery Book 2 will be released December 5, 2023.

When Maddie McGuire finds herself hurtling over a cliff while hiking The Cotswold Way, she uncovers much more than ancient woods. Terrified by her shocking discovery, she returns to the safety of her international internship at the Roman Baths only to find competition in the form of the tittering, aristocratic Gwendolyn De Valance, who has captured the attention of everyone Maddie hopes to impress. Turning to her boyfriend, Constable Edward Bailey, only reveals dark secrets about his past, leading her down a dangerous path which, this time, she may be unable to escape.

Readers, how do you deal with rejection? Does it stop you or propel you forward with more determination? Let us know in the comments!