What time is it? It’s time to spotlight an author.
or re-introduce you to an old favorite.
Lynn Kurland was an author that my sister in law Melanie turned me onto. Before I knew I had read everything of her’s that my library had, I then hit the bookstores reading more, till I had read everything. She has since become a favorite author of mine.
When I thought about who I wanted to spotlight this week knowing that it was BBAW also and I thought that Lynn would be a great author to do. So I emailed her and she accepted and gave me an amazing interview. Before I post that I thought that I would tell you a bit about her, I got the following from her website…
Lynn began her writing career at the tender age of five with a series of illustrated shorts entitled Clinton’s Troubles in which the compelling hero found himself in all sorts of, well, trouble. She was living in Hawaii at the time and the scope for her imagination (poisoned fish, tropical cliffs, large spiders) was great and Clinton bore the brunt of it. After returning to the states a short while later, writing gave way to music and a poor sap being felled with arrows, being eaten by fish and falling off cars was put aside for operatic heroes in tights.
But somehow during high school, in between bouts of Verdi and Rossini, she managed to find time to submerge herself in equal parts of Tolkien, Barbara Cartland and Mad Magazine. During college, a chance encounter with a large library stack of romances left her hooked, gave her the courage to put pen to paper herself, and finally satisfied that need for a little bit of fantasy with a whole lot of romance!
Two children, three cats, a remodel or two and thousands of pages later, she still loves what she does, still loves finding ways to write the out-of-the-ordinary in everyday situations, and wonders quite often if the castles she occasionally gets to visit really are haunted . . .
I then skimmed through her FAQ’s to see if there was a question there that I didn’t ask and found these two…
Did you always want to be a writer?
My dream as a teenager was to be the next JRR Tolkien (aim for the stars, clear the trees is my motto); I was sort of side-tracked from that by training to be a classical musician. I still play the piano for various things, play cello in a quartet, and sing in public when I have the chance, but most of my days are now taken up with raising two small children, being married to my own knight in shining armor and trying to find time to wrestle those characters that seem to be constantly rattling around in my head down onto paper.
Is your PG rating intentional?
Yes, it is. I take a fair amount of heat for it, but I’ve spent my career doing my best to write my stories, my way, and hope that they find an audience. My goal is to provide readers with a good love story and leave the more intimate moments to the imagination. For those that have never read her books, the sexual tension is there however the actual act is left to our imagination (in my opinion sometimes this just makes the story better)
Do you have a favorite Author?
I have several. I love Tolkien, CS Lewis, Patricia McKillip, Robin McKinley and I have to admit to an entirely unreasonable attachment to Dick Francis’ mystery novels.
And here is my interview with her….
1) Who was the first romance author that you read? Do you remember the name of the book?
It was Barbara Cartland, during high school, checked out of the library, and while I can’t remember the name, I’m pretty sure there was a Duke involved. 
2) Who are your go to authors?
Sadly enough, I just don’t have much extra time to read, and when I do, I limit myself to things that aren’t in the genres I write. Vladimir Horowitz, the brilliant classical pianist, once said that he didn’t listen to anyone else play for the six months leading up to whatever performance he was preparing for, just so he wouldn’t be influenced by them. I feel the same way, just because I want to be sure that what goes on the page is coming from my own imagination and is told in my voice alone. Given that I’m doing two books a year, Mr. Horowitz’s rule doesn’t leave me much opportunity to read for pleasure
I do like a good mystery, though, and am particularly fond of Dick Francis, Elizabeth Peters, and the late Anne George.
3) What books are in your tbr pile right now?
In no particular order and just off the top:
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (read it, but wanted to reread)
The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov (also read before, but wanted to reread)
An Incomplete Education by Judy James and William Wilson
The World Guide to Gnomes, Fairies, Elves, and other little people by Thomas Keightley
English Costume by Dion Calthrop
Medieval Travellers by Margaret Wade Labarge
Jelly roll quilting by Pam and Nicky Lintott
Sugar Sack Quilts by Glenna Hailey
I have to admit the quilt books will get read first. Because they have pictures
4) What are you working on right now?
I’m proofing the first book in my next fantasy trilogy (A Tapestry of Spells) and writing my next romance, One Enchanted Evening.
5) Are you ever going to have a family reunion with the 13th century de Piagets and the 21st century de Piagets.
I’m not sure a book would ever lend itself to that within the context of a single couple’s romance, but I’m trying to get the groups together little by little. With all the marrying and time-traveling going on between the families, surely there will come a time where some sort of big reunion will be unavoidable!
I also crochet.
