Let’s Welcome LYNN SHURR AUTHOR OF: AN ASHY AFFAIR

Let’s 

Welcome

LYNN SHURR

AUTHOR OF:

Rad-Reader:

     Right out the shoot, we are going to deal with how your poor ARC got slammed and I will say I was one of them.  I won’t lie, but I did give you the writer the benefit of the doubt. That it could be the publisher that chose to put it out this way so I want that said too.  As written in my review.  Now, I want to say I did get a letter from your publishing company saying that there was a glitch in the download which we all know can happen. 

     My only issue with them is that I had your book a long time they had to know who had your book still out there especially on Kindle and since most people only really read the last few reviews posted, unless they really like to read reviews, it seems like it is doing you a disservice but that’s just me.  Now you were slammed for grammar and such.  I have gotten better at that but I will not lie not my strongest points when it comes to the English language and it is my first language my only one in fact, so I could not really speak to that. 

     I as a reader go for the story as a whole.  If it makes me feel something if there are any drag points, or if there are any elements that don’t make me at the end of it feel like it should for a romance there's a problem.  If all the points are there but there was no, WOW!  I rate according to my feelings.  I rate higher than most I'm sure.  Because I become a part of the story.  I know that each story to an author is their baby and should be treated as such.  So, if I say your character acted like a wimp or is a skirt chaser through most of the story why?  I’m asking about the conflict not trying to hurt your feelings our readers don’t all know why characters act the way they do or why we chose to take them along the long road to get a short distance.  

     So, in a long about way how do you respond to how this has affected you with the way the ARC (book) may or may not have been received?

Lynn:          Writers wait tensely for the first reviews on their new books. I was devastated by those early reviews on Ashy. My editor, who is charry with her compliments, said this was a good one when we turned it over to the publisher. Since my print copies and e-book were fine, I had no idea why people called the book “terrible” and “awful” with an abrupt ending. Finally, a fan who regularly reads my books got in touch and asked why I’d ended the book during a lunch between two sisters—was I planning an immediate sequel?  No, no, it ended with a wedding, and all the plot points were resolved. She figured out she’d received only 166 pages of the 300 pages plus book. I immediately informed the publisher of the glitch and asked the reviewers to please request the whole book and give it another chance. Most did not. The defective copies were sent out to Net Galley and people who had done a pre-sale order, the ones most likely to review.

      Anyhow, I was crushed, but in the middle of writing a new Sinners book and that kept me going. Several people told me to just to get over it and abandon Trashy, but that is hard to do when you have spent months crafting a good story people should enjoy. Eventually, I simply stopped publicizing it and moved on. The trouble is people tend to pile on hurt when you get an awful review, and there is little you can do to stop it.

     As for my grammar, I have a degree in English and am well aware of its rules, but I find strictly following those rules makes writing seem stiff and formal so I choose to bend them to sound more natural.
Rad-Reader: Since wanting to become a writer and I get on, a lot of different sites to see webcast and things or read different articles that have to do with writing.  One I read I forget where exactly it said, it's is becoming very clear in today's society, you can have the best grammar and spelling in a story but if it's not getting off the shelf because the story itself has no heart or it has no content or the facts are all incorrect it will never matter if your grammar and spelling are correct or not if no one is buying it.  I thought well there you go.  Sad but true.  Thank God.  I'm bad at all of it.  Thank goodness for editors.

Rad-Reader:  How did you come up with this story concept come from?

Lynn:  It was inspired by an internet story of a vegetarian fireman who resuscitated a kitten he found in a burning house. My daughter is a veterinary nurse and helped me with the animal details. She once tried to move a cat, a dog, and two rescue rats in the same car and was heckled by rednecks (but not attacked by them). However, she definitely isn’t Leah.

Rad-Reader:  What was up with her past and the married guy?

Lynn:  Leah has lived in her beautiful, popular sister’s shadow all her life. This predatory married man comes along and tells her she is pretty, smart, talented—and his wife doesn’t understand him. She falls for this old line and is later deeply ashamed.  Leah resolves to live an independent life without a man.

Rad-Reader:  Why is she so afraid to get involved with Ash?

Lynn:  She sees Ash as a ten among men (and he is) while she thinks she is maybe a five on her best days. She doesn’t want to make the same mistake of falling for someone out of her league again.

Rad-Reader:  What is it about Leah do you think that Ash is so taken with right off the bat at the fire?

Lynn:  Ash is so used to being pursued by clingy women that he admires her independence and her unwillingness to just crumble against his chest in tears. She is different, intriguing, --and he finds nothing wrong with her body even if Leah does.

Rad-Reader:  Someone started her house on fire yet she is not concerned with it at all why?

Lynn:  She has recently moved to the area and most of her things are still stored in the barn (an artist’s studio apartment) because she has not had time to unpack. If her nature photographs had gone up in flames, she probably would have cried, but she isn’t a person who cares about clothes and worldly goods very much. By the way, the studio/barn was based on a building belonging to an artist friend of mine.

Rad-Reader:  Ethel seems really good for Leah to do you think she is as absent-minded as she acts?

Lynn:  No, Ethel is not as dotty as she seems. She is a type of senior citizen I admire, an active volunteer who loves going to the casino, having lunch and dancing with friends, and is still interested in men. She wants Leah to be happy and steers her in the right direction.

Rad-Reader:  When Ash comes home from the dance after making a connection over being caretakers.  He does an inspection on her barn.  Why does she finally give into him when he asks to kiss her?

Lynn:  It is his genuine caring about his grandfather, mother, and even her safety that breaks down her resistance. Ash is not just a pretty guy. He has depth.

Rad-Reader:  Why is Ash Allowing Rachel to hang all over him if he wants to be with Leah?  He knows how insecure she is.

Lynn:  Ash is the type of guy I call a white knight, always riding to the rescue. A consummate gentleman, he is unable to simply tell Rachel off. Just maybe he wants to make Leah a little jealous since she seems determined to fend him off most of the time. He isn’t entirely perfect. Ash wants to be wanted by Leah.

Rad-Reader:  He knows Leah is insecure already and he keeps being the knight to the princess Rachel.  Why?

Lynn:  I think I answered that above, but I will add that he does come up with the perfect plan to get rid of Rachel by calling in his even more handsome and charming brother.

Rad-Reader:  So, Cole isn’t a firefighter.  Why five years in college?  Same reason as Rachel?  Or just can’t find himself?

Lynn:  Oh, I think Cole, Ash’s brother, is having too good a time being a male stripper to care about when he finishes college, supposedly earning his way through school doing what he does. He is the female version of Rachel, but smarter. Eventually, Cole will do just fine in life when he settles down.

Rad-Reader:  Why wasn’t this presented as a plus size book?  I think it would get a great response if add. 

Lynn:  Leah isn’t really heavy, just oddly proportioned: big bust, small waist, womanly hips, and short stature. I always say a small part of me goes into each of my heroines. I was built like that when young, still am except for the small waist which is gone. It is hell buying clothes that look good.

      I was also overshadowed by an older sister who was considered the pretty and popular one. My mother said I had a nice personality at least. I have realized that a good personality and character lasts longer than external beauty and popularity. Leah has yet to learn that. However, I do think she would appeal to plus-sized women and am sorry I didn’t use that as a keyword.

Rad-Reader:  I love that she has self-esteem issues about her weight and shortness but Ash loves it about her how did you keep it real? 

Lynn:  Again, I think I answered that above as I dealt with the same issues when young. Most women have some sort of body image problem, which is a shame. Men suffer from this, too. In another of my books, she’s a Sinner, the hero, Tom, thinks he might be too hairy. A guy reviewed that book and said it was nice to have a hero that wasn’t perfect and had some insecurities for a change.

Rad-Reader:  Why wasn’t it so important to her that he didn’t see her as needy?

Lynn:  She is determined to stand on her own two feet after her bad affair, and she doesn’t want to be like Rachel either. Unfortunately, Leah is so intent on being independent of a man she nearly misses her chance with Ash, who rather enjoys their sparring.

Rad-Reader:  Ash is very much a fixer to the nth degree.  Do you think he has a case of parent co-dependent happening?  Although he hates the solution for his granddad they do it, now there’s his mom, he feels he has to fix that.

Lynn:  You nailed it, he is a fixer to the nth degree and also feels he must be the head of the household after his father’s death. His mother issues aren’t unhealthy. He gives up a great job and a life he loved to return home to help when his mom needs him.

Rad-Reader:  Is it really Ash’s way to not commit to anyone out of fear?

Lynn:  No, I don’t think so. He doesn’t like being pursued by women and uses his mother’s needs as a shield sometimes.

Rad-Reader:  Is Leah getting panicked over Ash not wanting to move out as a way to back away and not get hurt?

Lynn:  Yes, she put herself out there, and he backed off seemingly in favor of his mother. She thinks she has made another huge mistake. Ash will have to go big, really big, to win her back.

Rad-Reader:  Was Ash’s mom falling in love for all this time and Ash just not catching the signs?

Lynn:  Absolutely. I think the readers catch on to that way before Ash. His mom isn’t the needy, helpless person he thinks she is. Most of us can’t imagine our parents as having a love life let alone sex. 

Rad-Reader:  If your book was made into a movie who would you want to play…

Leah:  Kat Dennings

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/258605203573169898/

Ashton:  Robbie Amell

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/321303754641882143/

Lynn: 

Leah:  I could go with Kat Dennings. There aren’t many short, curvaceous brunette actresses out there. They all seem to be tall and blonde. 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/282530576601203924/

Ashton:  Yes, Robbie Amell would be great. I might say Chris Pratt who doesn’t look anything like Ash, but if they made a movie, I’d have a chance to meet him.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/194358540144229975/

Rad-Reader:  What song best describes your couple or your book as a whole?

“Yours – Ella Henderson”

Leah’s song to Ash

“I Worship The Woman You Walked On – Ronnie Dunn”

Ash's song to Leah

Lynn:  A good choice for Ash! Yours is lovely, but I think I’d go with Fire by the Pointer Sisters.  Check it out.

Rad-Reader:  What would you want to do if you couldn’t write?

Lynn:  I was librarian and library director for years and loved my job when it was about uniting people and books. As a teen, I had a burning desire to be an archaeologist, but my parents didn’t think that was a practical goal. I have been on a couple of digs, but being a librarian probably suited me better.

Rad-Reader:  Where is your favorite write spot when not at home?

Lynn:  I only write at home. Being a great people watcher, I find other places too distracting. But if I did, it would be some quiet corner in a library.

Rad-Reader:  Who gave your biggest push when you were in school, a special teach?

Lynn:  Not so much in high school, but in college I was a student aide for Dr. Dorothy Dee Bailey who constantly challenged me and gave me some self-esteem which I sorely lacked. She had me on track to become a professor, but I veered off into library science since I had no desire to teach.

Rad-Reader:   What song out right now is your favorite that you can’t get out of your head?

Lynn:  Terrible confession, I rarely listen to music as I also find it distracting. When in the car, I tend to listen to Golden Oldies or CDs of Simon and Garfunkel, Ray Charles, Elvis, and the Beatles, even Johnny Cash, and Patsy Cline. Very eclectic, like my reading. When I was trying very hard to get published a dozen years ago, the song, Hold on Tight to your Dreams by the ELO, was my mantra.

Rad-Reader:  What is your next project and when is it coming out?

Lynn:  By the time this interview runs, my latest Sinners book will be out (August 30^th), Never a Sinner. These are my most popular books and usually deal with football players, but Teddy, confined to a wheelchair, will ever be one of those so it is a little different. Still, I think people will love him.

     On November first, A Place Apart, another single title premiers. It’s my first stand-alone since the Ashy Affair debacle. I’ve stuck to Sinners books mostly, but now am giving it another try. This one takes place on a bleak island in Maine where a mentally wounded warrior has taken refuge from his pain. A poor little rich girl he once worshiped has decided to claim the island for herself. Sparks fly.

     In the spring, another single title should be out. Called Putty in her Hands, the heroine is a plasterer who works restoring old homes. When an architect buys a historic hotel she wants to rehab in order to tear it down for his modern condo complex, well, they bump heads and other body parts.

     After that, I plan two more Sinners books, The Heart of a Sinner and The Aussie Sinner (when I get back from a trip to that country).

     Goals for a Sinner, my first Sinners book, will be available on audio shortly, and that is a thrill as I am a big fan of audiobooks. I listen to them instead of music.

https://www.amazon.com/Never-Sinner-Sinners-Legacy-Book-ebook/dp/B073MSFVPJ/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Rad-Reader:  Where can our readers buy your book?

Lynn:  Anywhere except brick and mortar stores, though they can order my books: Amazon, barnesandnobel.com, thewildrosepress.com, Smashwords, Kobo, etc. They are available in many types of e-format and soft cover. Heck, if you send me twenty dollars, I’ll mail an autographed copy anywhere in the U.S. 

Rad-Reader:  Where can our readers find you on the Web?

Lynn:  I am active on Facebook. Just look for Lynn Shurr. I also have a website: www.lynnshurr.com and a blog: https://lynnshurr.blogspot.com/ and can be reached directly at lynn.shurr@yahoo.com. I love to hear from my fans, new and old.

Lynn: Very thorough and insightful interview. Thanks for the opportunity.

Thank you for being with us and for this very interesting and fun and loving BBW book.  It has so much going on in it there is a little bit of everything for everyone in it.  Love, romance, erotica, angst, firefighters, animals (bad-mouthed talking bird), arson, you name it.  Make sure you come back and use Our Shout Out page for An Author's Place anytime.  You are now a 1 Rad-Reader Misfit.
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