פשוט תתחילו לכתוב. תעשו את זה בשבילכם ולא בשביל אף אחד אחר. תמיד יהיו אנשים שיאהבו את הספרים שלכם, ויהיו כאלה שישנאו אותם, כמו בכל תחום עיסוק. תכתבו את כל היושב על לבכם ושימו ... על כל היתר. ;-)
* או.קיי, לסיום, אני רוצה הצהרה רשמית ממך - למי שייך אלכסנדר? חחח
חחח... אלכסנדר שייך ללין.
לרכישת הספר "תסבוכת נפלאה":
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*When did you know that you were a professional writer? When was the moment that you realised that this is what you want to do with your life? That you're an AUTHOR!
It’s still a bit surreal, even now that I’ve been doing this for four years. I don’t think it’s yet to sink in that this is my life. I guess the big moment when I realized people were actually reading my books happened when I released Gorgeous Chaos, the final book in my Beautiful Mess series. I knew people had been dying to get their hands on it to see how the story finished, but I’ll never forget waking up the morning it released and checking the rankings on Amazon to see it was already at 40 in the entire kindle store. I just remember being in a daze pretty much the next couple of days at how well the book was doing.
*How did you come up with Alexander and Olivia's story? What was your inspiration?
Their story evolved over time. It was a long process and it constantly changed when I had new ideas. Inspiration is everywhere. In fact, as I was writing, I still didn’t know who would be behind all the craziness that happens in the suspense subplot. It came to me when I was out for a run and I ended up having to go and rewrite a bunch of scenes, but it certainly paid off.
*What is your writing process? Do you write the plot in headlines or just let the words flow?
I am not a planner when it comes to writing. I don’t sit down and plan what I want to happen. One of the things about my writing is that it’s very character centered. My books have very strong character development so when it comes to writing, I let the characters take the story where they want it to go, not where I want it to go. I also don’t write in order. In fact, the first scene I wrote in my Beautiful Mess series occurs in the third book, Gorgeous Chaos. I write whatever scene pops into my head at the moment instead of waiting until I reach that part in the book. By then, I may no longer be feeling the emotion I need to in order to correctly write it.
*I know The Beautiful Mess Series has already been translated into Italian(YAY). How does it feel seeing your words in different language? Have you ever thought this story would get so far?
Never in a million years did I think I’d see my books translated into several different languages. When I hit publish on A Beautiful Mess back in 2013, I was thrilled when ten people bought it the first day. I didn’t really know what I was doing. All I knew was I’d written a story. That’s all I really cared about. I wasn’t doing it to make money. And that’s still true. A true writer will still write even if they didn’t make a penny. It’s something I love to do, and I’ll continue to do it even if no one buys my books.
*How did your family members/husband react to Alexander and Olivia's HOT sex scenes?
I actually didn’t tell anyone I was writing a book when I first began. I honestly didn’t think it was going to go anywhere. It was just something I did for myself, to see if I could write a book. Then as I would sit down to read other books, Olivia and Alexander’s story wouldn’t leave me alone. I had trouble reading anything else. That was when I knew I should look into self-publishing. I knew I didn’t want to go the traditional route because I like to be able to control the content, price, marketing, and all that stuff. I had no idea what beta readers were, but I soon found out. I had sent the first book to a group of betas, and then got back saying how much they loved A Beautiful Mess and needed the second book, A Tragic Wreck, as soon as it was ready. As luck would have it, it was ready. I’d written the entire series before I realized it was too long to be just one book.
My husband travels a bunch for work. One day, after he got back from the road, we went to grab lunch at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants here in town. I’d just received feedback on the second book from my betas and I knew I was going to publish, so it was time to break the news to my husband. I turned to him and said, “I have some news.” He looked at me and saw the beer in front of me. “Well, you’re drinking a beer so I know you’re not pregnant.” I proceeded to tell him how I’d been writing a book, which was now three books. He immediately wanted copies so I sent him the rough ebook.
That night, I woke up and he wasn’t in bed. I went downstairs and saw him reading on the couch, our dog curled up next to him. He looked up and gave me a devious grin and said, “I skipped ahead.”
He’s honestly been my biggest supporter since day one, even when my books weren’t making any money. I hear horror stories from some of my other friends who are writers and their husbands don’t seem to think what they do is a real job. I’m grateful my husband sees that it is.
*Who is your favorite author? Were you inspired by him/her with your writing style?
One of my favorite authors of all time is John Steinbeck. I even have a first edition of The Grapes Of Wrath. What always spoke to me about his work was that he could write something so poignant and emotional as The Grapes Of Wrath or East Of Eden, then completely switch gears and write an amusing book, like Cannery Row. I guess I liked the idea of not sticking to just one genre, and it inspired me with my own books. They run the gamut from romantic comedy to romantic suspense to chick lit to thriller. Like Steinbeck, I’d like people to remember me for being versatile in my writing.
*Any words of wisdom for writers who dream about publishing in the future?
Just start writing. Do it for you, and not for anyone else. There are going to be people who love your books and people who hate it. It’s like that in every profession. Just write what’s in your heart and screw everyone else.
*Last but not least, I want an official statement from you: who Alexander belongs to? LOL
LOL. Alexander is Lin’s.
