Author Interview: K. Lynn

Since a mugging a year ago, Ben’s lived with blindness. Despite an art career on hold and a deadbeat boyfriend who left him because of his disability, he's finally getting his life back on track. Ben is gaining a new sense of independence thanks to his guide dog, Colt.

But Ben’s carefully balanced life is thrown into chaos when veterinarian Dr. Jay Connor hits Colt with his car. While Colt is on the mend and recovering nicely, Ben finds that Jay is not only fond of Colt, but also quite interested in Ben.

However, one overheard conversation might put a stop to their romance before it can grow into something more. Maybe Ben’s destined to go it alone in the dark. Or can Jay help him see there’s still a chance for happily ever after?

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Where do you find your inspiration?
I've written stories with disabled characters in the past, but I tend to gravitate towards mobility issues rather than losing one of the senses. In this one, though, I knew I wanted to focus on a character who had lost his sight. When writing a blind character, it poses the challenge of how to describe the world to the reader without the use of visual cues. Ben has to rely on his sense of hearing, smell, and touch to ground him and share what's going on around him. I hope I achieved that through this novella.
When Ben lost his sight, he had to learn to adapt. He was a painter, so how does someone who relies so much on his sight for his career find a new path? In the case of Ben, he is just starting to explore other artistic outlets. He used to sculpt, and has been using that as a means of recovery since it allows him to explore his work through touch. In the novella, he is thinking about whether he can make a living through those means now. It's a time of new beginnings, and Ben's ready to take that next step.

Are you tempted to write in other genres?
I write in the broad genre of LGBT fiction, but there are multiple genres within that in which I write. I've written everything from paranormal fiction to trangender/gender-fluid romance to erotica. The novel that I published in May, His Womanly Ways, was a genderswap romance. That novel was unlike my usual fare of works, and perhaps that's why it came so fast to me. I let myself go and just saw where the plot would take me. And it turns out that it took me to quite an interesting place. The only thing I knew going in was that I wanted to do a genderswap book, but one that was unlike those I had read prior. I have always been interested in the genre, but I find most of it jumps straight to objectification rather than exploration. Basically, I go where the characters take me. I don't confine myself to one subgenre of LGBT fiction, it's just a matter of what story the character is telling.

Do you read reviews? How do you deal with the good, the bad, and the ugly?
I do read reviews, but I separate out the good from the bad and I don't respond to any of them regardless of what they say. Each reader is going to bring their own take on the manuscript. Sometimes the story will work for them, sometimes it won't, but after I release my works they're are out of my hands. I am happy when I can connect to readers, but I try not to let it get to me when readers are negative. You can't please everyone, but if I can make one reader happy, then I'm happy.

How much happens in your brain before you know you have a story? Do you have to envision an entire plot or just a few ideas?
I tend to outline everything, but in the barest of terms. I know the basic gist of who the characters are, what plot points they'll touch upon, and hopefully where they'll end up. However, I try not to outline too much because I don't want to confine the characters too much. Letting them carry the story, travel where they want to, also allows new revelations to emerge and fun plot twists to pop up. Sometimes it veers my original outline off-track, but I find that the resulting story is more powerful, so I never want to box in my characters for fear that one day they'll refuse to talk to me anymore.

What are you working on next?
It has been a very busy few months for me in publishing. Not only did I have a novel come out in May (His Womanly Ways), I had a novella (Coffee Date) that focused on a transgender character and her potential romantic involvement with a certain coffee shop employee that came out in June, I have this novella, and then I have another novella coming out later this fall (Storytime) that is about a noted novelist who is getting over the death of his long-time partner and not looking for love, but love finds him anyway. You can see all my releases on my website (WriterKLynn.com). After the promotional blitz, I hope that I can work on more novel and novella ideas for future release.

About K. Lynn

K. Lynn has been an avid reader and writer since childhood. While in college, K. Lynn increased her involvement in LGBT issues and writing within the LGBT fiction genre. She has become a long-time fan of the authors that seek to explore the commonality that exists within all sexualities and genders. Most of K. Lynn's work features LGBT characters, many of whom are in established relationships and show how love perseveres through every trial and tribulation that life holds. She also has a particular interest in seeing transgender characters gain a larger foothold within the LGBT fiction genre, hoping that the market for these works expand in the future. Contact K. Lynn at writerklynn@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @WriterKLynn



Purchase Must Love Dogs

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