Q & A with author Lynne Marshall

Thanks so much for coming on today, Lynne. Would you please share a short bio with our readers?


I live quietly with my husband in Southern California, and I’m a rare native of the state. I worked as an RN for thirty years, I’m a dog lover, a cat admirer, a power walker, an avid reader, and fellow traveler on this wild road called life.


I came to fiction writing after my children were nearly grown, but I couldn’t put it off any longer, I had a story that needed to be told. That book is safely tucked away in my closet. Whew! Now I battle my empty nest (daughter in Boston, son in Okinawa) by writing stories which always include a romance, sometimes medicine, a dose of mirth, or both, but always stories straight from my heart.


I am fortunate to be published by Harlequin, and Mills & Boon in category romance (Special Edition) and Medical Romance with twelve books so far. I am also very happy to be one of the Roses for The Wild Rose Press, with my first long contemporary romance in the Last Rose of Summer line.

Q Do you consider yourself a shy and/or introverted person?

A Not only am I shy and introverted, but I’m a late bloomer! The trifecta of antisocial. Sigh.


Q In what ways has being shy or introverted hindered your writing career?

A I believe being shy often stems from feeling unconfident. I never believed in myself or my capabilities. I thought I didn’t have a right to write a book because I wasn’t highly educated, and, let’s face it, I goofed off a lot in English Lit, and only enjoyed about half of the classics I’ve read over the years. This does not bode well for ones aspirations of becoming an author.

Q In what ways has being shy or introverted helped your writing career?

A Being introverted helps my writing because I energize myself. When I’m writing a scene and get in the zone, nothing is more exhilarating. I don’t need other people to inspire or motivate me. What I might have trouble putting into words in a social setting, I can easily tell my computer.


Q What’s the hardest part of this business for you?

A The hardest part of this business is schmoozing with professionals. I am absolutely awful at it. My battle with nerves causes me to come off aloof, and I fear I’ve made people think I’m standoffish. I don’t want to take up their time out of consideration for them, not because I don’t like them or don’t want to talk to them. It gets complicated, doesn’t it?

Q Tell me about a time that you had to step outside your comfort zone either in your writing career or in your personal life?

A I made the mistake of submitting a workshop proposal to the Georgia chapter of RWA. AND THEY ACCEPTED IT! I gave a workshop called Riveting Revisions: the Key to Getting Published at the 2008 Moonlight and Magnolias conference with about seventy-five people in the audience. Somehow I did it, and I got good feedback from several attendees. Way outside my comfort zone. What was I thinking? I’ve done the class four times on-line now, and that is much more to my liking.


Q What’s one tip you could share with shy and introverted people that’s helped you?

A Well, we’re all just folks, and being genuine and kind should come easy to us, but for those times it doesn’t? When nervous, smile! People always respond to a friendly face. (Plus it’s a natural facelift!)

Q Would you please share a short blurb of your book and where my readers can buy it?

A Here’s a blurb for ONE FOR THE ROAD, TWRP July 2011 (Last Rose of Summer line):

D’Anne Palmer leads a life others dream of until she’s widowed and broke. Now she must return to California by hiring out her deluxe RV. One-hit wonder Tyler White hopes his three-week tour will recharge his career. Journeying from Nashville to Las Vegas, can close quarters help a has-been singer and the widow with California style find love?


Check out an excerpt here.

Q Where can my readers find you on the web?

A The book is available at TWRP website and at Amazon.com in e-book and print.

Your readers can find me on the web. I blog each Monday, post news and articles, and run occasional contests. Also, I draw a name for a free book from my backlist each month from those who sign up for my newsletter. Pop in and have a look around! I’m currently offering the epilogue for One for the Road exclusively to my newsletter enrollees.